Soul King
by ElementalL'Cie
Summary: It has been two years since being crowned Soul King and Toshiro Hitsugaya is finding it's a lot harder to catch a demon than he thought. His enemy, the Dark Master Kamai Dethmaiyn, still lurks in the shadows waiting to strike. With Karin and his Soul Reaper friends at his side, Toshiro vows to defeat this darkness. But how much will he lose? Beta'd by Writer of Craziness.
1. Prologue: Two Years as King

**Look who's back! That's right! The long awaited sequel! I won't talk long, don't worry. ^^ Quick reminder, if you have any questions for this story the Q and A thing is still up at the end of Soul Prince, i'll gladly answer. Now without further ado, the prologue for Soul King! Enjoy!**

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When young Toshiro had first been called upon to the realm of the Soul King, held up by his dying father and about to snap, he had never expected anything like it. It had taken time and a little outside help, but eventually he realized his role in the world and moved on to fulfill it. As his father faded and the demons inched closer, Toshiro became stronger. There was more to him than just being the prince; he learned he was truly the reincarnation of a heavenly guardian, something he'd heard once before in battle but never thought of as important. He was the wielder of two dragon spirits, and the center of a prophecy that may or may not spell out death for the worlds.

But he did not struggle alone. Hoping to use the boy's connection to the Japanese Soul Society as leverage against the prince, the Dark Master, Kamai Dethmaiyn, began to attack, subtle strikes that eventually escalated into battles of life or death. He targeted some more than others, specifically a human-Shinigami-Quincy hybrid by the name of Karin Kurosaki. The Demon King had recognized her for who she was before even Toshiro did; the one person capable of bringing the prince to his knees, the one person he would ever truly allow into the depths of his heart. He made several attempts to capture the girl, but she always got away, and in the end, she and the prince grew ever closer.

So much that Toshiro could hardly stand to be from her side for long.

And so Kamai grins.

There are still secrets that lie in waiting. Where is Kamai hiding away? What else is he planning? What power does he possess that allows him to counter the Soul King on even ground? The dragons sense the stirring of war and know they must soon choose, but who will they pick? With Toshiro as their Dragon King the choice seems obvious, but many have doubts about someone so young as their leader.

After all, who would be crazy enough to accept a child as their leader?

Two years have passed since the death of the King of Light, Satoru Hitsugaya. Two years since Toshiro took his place and began ruling over the many realms. Though all before him never left the realm, he is known to head to the Soul Society often, keeping in touch with those he knows there, making sure they are well protected as demon armies continue to capture ground within their walls, and searching for the whereabouts of the entrance to the demon world so as to stop Kamai in his tracks. So far there is no sign of any passage leading to the darkness where the beasts reside. All the king had to go off of was a vague prophecy and snide remarks from demons, nothing of any possible worth that could show them the way.

Perhaps they do not look hard enough.

War threatens to start at any given time. One wrong move and the demons would devour them all. Similarly, one mistake and the darkness would be revealed to the light. Both sides were cautious, both never made any headway. With some tact, and no small amount of flattery, Toshiro was able to convince a few dragons to aid in protecting the realm of spirits, the wild becoming tame as they found their spirits as strong as themselves.

But is it enough? This question bothers the young king weekly every time he arrives at or leaves his former home, checking the defenses and seeing the progress made by the fighters. The demons that fight are weak, easy kills for the warriors that trained relentlessly in his realm to be prepared for the worst.

But what is the worst?

They had yet to encounter any of the fabled Solar Five Sisters, five deadly masters of various arts, Five Demon Lords of untold power, since their attempts to kidnap Karin Kurosaki. Kamai had only shown his face once to them, and once again near Karin as he responded to an insult she herself had given him, but it was enough to warn them he had plenty of power and intelligence to crush the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and he could do so at any time while they were weak. Stress was high as they worried about coming face-to-face with the Dark Master in a battle they knew they would lose.

They knew he was planning something. They knew they were simply waiting for the end to arrive, whatever form it may take. It was only a matter of time before the darkness rushed headlong at them, and then…not even the Soul King would be able to protect them. Fear was common now in the lives of the Reapers.

Fear was their greatest threat.

Fear was their end.


	2. Finding Allies Among Elemental Dragons

Things were rather busy in the Soul King's Realm, more so than usual upon an island, attached to the forested Kingdom of Magika; Dragon Isle. It was a generally large island, capable of housing nearly one hundred average sized dragons, the average size ranging from ten to thirty feet tall, but it was seeing quite a bit of activity. It made the residents of the realm nervous, unsure what these wild creatures intended, swarming the island like that.

If any of them had the ability to go inside, they would see what the fuss was about. Every dragon inside had their attention focused on the only human figure amid their ranks, one of the few allowed into their place of sanctuary. The figure stood proudly, head held high and teal eyes full of power and intelligence. Their Dragon King himself, Toshiro Hitsugaya, matured quite a bit in the past two years. His hair was a little longer but he preferred to keep it short, eyes of icy teal wiser than they'd ever been, his lean figure standing about five foot four. Behind him stood the sapphire colored dragon of Ice and Water, Myndræl. There was a silver coloring to the dragon's scales now, and he had reached a height of twenty-two feet, ice blue eyes shining with wisdom bestowed upon him by the Keepers of his elements once his partner had become Soul King.

"You want us to help the people who exiled us?" A Lightning dragon growled, the first to speak. "Surely you learned of this. It was humans who forced us into this realm."

"I know of it," Hitsugaya replied calmly. This dragon was not the first to argue against him on his idea. Though he knew it would be difficult, he was determined to get the dragons to help them fight. Dragon Magic would be useful against the demons, and the beasts were resilient against Fear, almost immune to it. They would be powerful allies. "The Soul Reapers are not as blind as the living; they have accepted several of your kind already. If you recall, the Fire dragon Dyrilæn lives with them now, as do Shimmer, Shadow, Infiro and Aberon."

"They always were soft." He heard a dragon snort. He said nothing, spotting another dragon growl defiantly at the speaker, one of the named dragons being his friend.

"Aberon is one of the strongest Dark dragons." Toshiro pointed out. "His added power over Lightning makes him a rather intimidating dragon to fight. I met him myself before he partnered with Ichigo Kurosaki, and he seemed rather adamant against helping humans. Now he stands beside one daily. Infiro is also a powerful dragon who hated humans, but now doesn't stray far from his partner. Surely you all could do the same?"

Mutters went up around the island as they thought about it.

"I rather like the idea." A female spoke, stepping forward. The Keeper of Ice, a stunning ice-blue dragoness with swirls of white and transparent blue wings, rounded horns and spikes made of purest ivory. Crystal blue eyes looked fondly upon the Dragon King, as she was connected to him more than most. "It was once tradition to search out a partner. Shall we do so again, instead of living alone in the wilds?"

"You're a Keeper, you can't have a partner." A Fire dragon snorted at her.

"And yet I'm agreeing with it." She sat next to the Ice King. "Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"I agree as well." Firzara, the Keeper of Darkness, also stepped forward. That was two of thirteen elemental Keepers on his side. That guaranteed two sets of elemental dragons on his side. Small, but it was a start, and Toshiro wasn't greedy.

"This is pointless." An Earth dragon stepped forward. "We changed our traditions because of our exile; we're not going to change them back just to be exiled again."

"But these are the souls of the dead." A different dragon spoke up from the crowd. "They've learned a bit from their mistakes."

"Ha! As if." Another voice shot back. "Humans are humans, living or dead, they won't take us back in."

"That's where I come in." Toshiro cut in, silencing the argument. "If needed, I will have the various Soul Societies come to terms with your existence just as the Japanese branch has. There is hope you will find a partner, all of you."

"It's true that for every dragon there is a soul to bond with it." The Keeper of Light stepped forward, brother to Firzara and like him in every way except pure white instead of black. "Also, it is easier to find mates, meaning more dragonlings. But there is still concern for how long it will take humans to accept us." He turned his golden gaze to the gathered dragons. "As we all know, when we meet our partner we cannot find it within ourselves to attack them. They, however, are fully capable of killing us. In that way we are at a disadvantage." The dragons murmured their agreement, the Keeper turning back to Toshiro. "I believe without a doubt your intentions are good, but even we have fears, and with our numbers so low we cannot risk another war with humans."

"I understand." Toshiro nodded. "That's why I will help in any way I can. The Japanese branch has already accepted your kind…start there, and it will eventually catch on that dragons are friends to us all. You may never return to the living world, but considering how long you all live, I would think it better you partner with souls, who live just as long."

"Fair argument." A dragon mused aloud. "He does have a point."

_'I think you're winning them over._' Myndræl spoke to his partner telepathically, having gained the ability some months ago and mastering it over a brief amount of time.

_'I hope so._' Hitsugaya replied, keeping his gaze on the crowd of dragons as they exchanged thoughts and concerns. _'With Lilianna's help I was able to expect a lot of these questions and arguments._' His gaze flickered to the violet dragon sitting calmly off to the side, a grin on her face. As an Elder she had a lot of influence, but like the other Elders, kept quiet. They knew the younger ones would follow them and had an unspoken agreement to let them talk it out among themselves first before stepping in if needed. If her silence was any indication, it was going well.

"Alright then, Dragon King." A Wind dragon spoke up, lifting onto her hind legs to be seen. "What do you suggest we do? Not even your Japanese allies will like all of us heading to their city at once."

"Most likely not." Toshiro smirked slightly. "But I'm sure they would welcome a few more of you. Those already there have been very helpful to the Soul Society, they wouldn't mind the extra power."

"That's all they want, power." A Fire dragon snorted.

"Don't you?" Toshiro raised a white brow. The dragon went silent, head lowering. "You don't have to decide today, but an answer is best given soon. The demons mass their armies, there's no telling when they'll strike, and there's no way to say for sure they won't attack the dragons."

Several growls went up around the island. While they had mixed feelings about humans, all dragons despised the demons.

"I plan on returning to the Soul Society soon." Toshiro moved towards Myndræl. "If any of you are interested, I'll gladly take you with me."

"May Swift guide you well," Lilianna called out to him as the young king mounted his dragon partner and prepared to leave.

"And may he praise your kindness," Toshiro responded easily. It was a farewell all dragons used. Swift was a legend among them, the first dragon and a mighty guardian, a god among lords.

Spreading his wings, Myndræl lifted off from the ground and took off over the rocky walls of the island, heading back to the palace.

_**'You'll have more than one of them asking to come with you.**_' Hyorinmaru purred as they glided through the air.

_'I agree._' Myndræl replied, moving downwards to the open area on the side of the palace building, a new addition that came with the creation of the newest level to the tower. _'I could hear several of them talking about it._'

_'Let's hope you're both right._' Toshiro responded to his dragons. _'For now there are some things I need to take care of._'

The Ice dragon landed softly on the stone platform and his partner dismounted, heading inside quickly. He had a lot to do, and the meeting with the dragons had taken longer than he'd wanted.

He passed through halls of dark wood, almost black, silver candelabra lining the walls and currently put out, the lights shining through the large, white curtained windows giving enough light. The floor was a dark gray wood, the rice paper doors dark with lighter colored paper. One would say the entire floor was monochromatic in color, but would occasionally find hints of blue or green.

Overall the floor gave off a wintry feeling, mixed with the young king's power that held a constant chill and one would think winter never ended. But it was not a harsh cold, no. The chill that pervaded the air was welcoming to everyone, and only turned harsh when the king was in an off mood. Some thanked having a king with an elemental power like ice, as it was always easy to tell what his mood was through the feeling of the cold. Others cursed the constant cold but held their tongue when he passed.

Toshiro stepped inside what seemed to be a large waiting room. This one had a few warmer colors in order to make guests comfortable, as he knew not everyone appreciated his fondness for the cold. The couches were a dark foresty green, the woods lighter shades of brown. Currently there was only one person inside, a green-haired woman with fiery amber eyes, dressed in black with accents of green and purple. The tanned woman glanced up at him as he entered and beamed.

"I was wondering when you'd get here, nephew," Sylfie Greenleaf, the current head of the Greenleaf Family, spoke with a light voice, clearly a playful woman who acted far younger than her age.

"I'm surprised you sat still for so long," Toshiro shot back with a small smirk.

"Oh I was eager to hear what you had to say." She waved off his comment. "You'd be surprised how patient I am."

"Not really, you did put up with me after all."

She gave a laugh that sounded like a stream bubbling joyously in the forest, a bell-like tone to it. When she laughed like that it was almost scientifically impossible not to smile, further proved as Toshiro gave a small one.

"Oh really, nephew, it was a good challenge that I volunteered to take."

"I see." Shaking his head in mock disappointment, his aunt smirking wide, he donned a more serious expression. "I'll be heading off again; will you hold the fort for me?"

"Don't I always?" Sylfie shrugged. "How long this time?"

"That depends…"

"Ah, I see." A mischievous gleam entered her eyes. "So this visit is for HER, isn't it?"

"Perhaps." His teal gaze refused to meet her amber. That was answer enough and the woman giggled happily.

"Alright, I'll see you in a week."

"A week?" He turned to her in surprise. "I hadn't planned on that long-"

"You do now." The woman stood and grasped his shoulders, turning him to face the door again. "You've been gone a long time since your last visit, and I'm sure she's getting riled up about now."

"She knows I'm busy." He frowned. "And it hasn't been that long."

"Yes, but she's your girlfriend, they always get upset." One eye winked at him and he sighed. There was no arguing with this woman.

"Fine, one week." He held up his finger to emphasize his point. "I have some things I need to do before I go, though."

"Don't take too long!" She called after him in a sing-song voice as he walked away. "I'll take good care of this place while you're gone!"

He heaved another sigh. Yes he could trust the woman to do as she promised, but no matter what he always felt nervous about leaving the realm to her for any longer than necessary.

But, he did like the idea of spending a week with his girlfriend. He hurried off to finish his other duties.

_'Should I let Dyrilæn know we're coming?_' Myndræl questioned. Though he and Toshiro had mastered telepathy, it was not possible to speak to Karin through the dragons. For one thing, she hadn't gained the ability just yet, though they seemed to be getting close, and another, it was just too much strain on both dragon and partner to hold a conversation telepathically with more than one person and/or dragon. With zanpaktous it was different, because they were a part of one's soul.

_'No, not yet._' Toshiro replied to his partner, smirking slightly. _'Let's surprise them._'

The faint rumble of the dragon chuckling echoed in his mind before things went quiet.

After working through his paperwork, which he wanted finished before leaving for an entire week and letting it pile back up, and meeting with the Evereed Family, in charge of affairs in the North American region, about what to do with their rebellious citizens, Toshiro went to gather a few things before leaving.

"America really needs to reconsider its freedom rules," Toshiro grumbled to himself. "No society is perfect, but their democracy is clearly becoming an issue when it comes to protecting the World of the Living." He sighed. "And they need to stop being so nosy."

He picked up some paperwork off his desk and looked through it briefly. It was a reply from the other Royal Guards about a particular decision of his, one of the reasons he was heading back to the Japanese branch of Soul Society. Only one disagreed but understood he'd probably be the only one and therefore didn't much care. Two had mixed feelings and concerns, and the others agreed wholeheartedly. The last one he read was from his most trusted guard, Ruala Nakryin, adopted daughter of his aunt Sylfie and Ruler of Magika. She was one who had mixed feelings, unsure how it would work out, but trusted his decision.

He sighed as he read it; Ruala was hard to convince of anything, but she also didn't disagree very much, only stood in the center. She didn't want to lose his trust, but didn't want him to fall too far either. Sometimes her neutral outlook on things made decisions all the more difficult to make.

Still, they seemed willing to accept his idea for the most part and that was enough. He was sure they'd go along with it after a while. The harder part was convincing the people the idea was about to go along with it. As king no one really went against him unless they knew him well enough to know he welcomed contradiction in order to make better decisions, but this particular group didn't give a damn about his status and spoke their mind freely. And one of them happened to be his girlfriend.

A smirk played on his lips at the thought and he set the papers back down, grabbing his bag as he left and heading back to where Myndræl waited patiently. Hopefully Ruala was already there waiting, and maybe a few of the dragons if they were willing enough. Ruala was almost always the one to go with him to the Soul Society, the other Royal Guards keeping busy in their own way. Actually, he was pretty sure one of them was currently already in the Soul Society.

But that wasn't important. He checked up one last time with Sylfie but she just ushered him off outside to the Tenchuren, assuring him the realm would be fine with his absence for a while. Her determination to send him off made him cautious but he went nonetheless, Myndræl standing patiently beside the large tower with a petite figure next to him, two draconic figures nearby.

"Ruala," Toshiro greeted kindly.

She removed her white hood, platinum blonde hair gleaming in the sunlight. One eye of green and one of amber, both looking at him with respect as she curtsied to him, traditional of her people.

"You were rather vague with your answer," He told her, meaning her reply to his request he had just read over. Somehow she seemed to know he was talking about this and shifted her foot nervously.

"It's a good idea…but risky," She said in her quiet voice, barely above a whisper.

"I know it is, yet I think it will be good for all of us. And I haven't broken any laws."

She smiled softly and nodded her agreement, looking a little surer now. She instead turned to two larger, reptilian figures with them. One was a thin Wind dragon, her element best known by the fact that she did not possess wings, as many Wind dragons didn't. She was a sky blue color with dark purple eyes, purple spots underneath them, and a feline look to her thin muzzle. Silver speckled down her back with a dark gray mane down her spine, some dark gray fur on her chest as well. Dark purple feathers peeked up atop her head and at the end of her tail, her horns looking more like antlers of a light purple color. She lifted a silver speckled paw in greeting, a playful grin on her face.

"Greetings, Dragon King," She purred. "I am Ahvain, a Wind-Gravity dragon. I wish to accompany you to the Soul Society."

"You're welcome to come." Toshiro nodded to her, turning to the second.

This one was also female, a small Ice dragon with light pink eyes, scales a shimmering ice blue speckled with white that looked like snow. A long lavender mane flowed down her back, part between her eyes that made Toshiro think of the Kuchikis. Her feathered wings started off purple at the joints before fading through blue to white, her tail ending in lavender colored feathers. The dragoness perked her furry ears forward before bowing her head.

"I am Tælaf, an Ice-Lunar dragon," She spoke respectfully. "I also wish to accompany you, Dragon King."

"I think I have an idea who your partner is, Tælaf," Toshiro told her and she looked up, excited. "I'll introduce you to her."

"Thank you!"

Ahvain huffed but thought nothing of it, as she knew it wouldn't be as easy for everyone. She only hoped her partner was there as well. A feeling in her gut told her she was, but sometimes that feeling could be wrong.

The three dragons and two spirits entered the Tenchuren, ready to depart. Toshiro glanced briefly at his dragon, noticing a mischievous glint in those ice colored eyes at getting to surprise his mate. The look was copied upon the young king and he couldn't help but smirk.

Today would be interesting indeed.

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**Here's the first chapter for your enjoyment! ^^ This has been Beta'd by Writer of Craziness (many thanks to you!)**

**The dragons are starting to become a little more important to the story now, but more as like allies than anything major. Just like a king on Earth allying with other countries for more man power. And now he's off to see 'you-know-who' XD Enjoy!**


	3. Business with the Kurosaki Family

They were moving too slow. Way to damn slow. Why did clocks always go so slow on the last day of school?

Karin heaved a sigh, twisting her pen around as she waited for that final bell. She'd already finished her final, so these last few minutes were torture. All she wanted to do was get home, leave her body, and head straight to the Soul Society. Being the end of the year she'd had to stay in the World of the Living to study for some time, leaving her dragon in the realm of souls as well as most of her friends. She was anxious to return.

At least the demons left her alone here.

Steel gray eyes caught onto someone looking at her, one of the boys. He had a stupid grin on his face and was looking her over. She went a bit pink and scowled at him, not liking the attention. Upon hitting nineteen she had grown rather well into her matured body, which included a set of…assets. She was also very lean, thanks to constant training, and it wasn't all that uncommon for guys to be staring at her.

_'Wait until they found out I'm taken,_' she scoffed mentally, refusing to look that boy's way.

_**'And by a king, no less,**_' her inner wyvern snickered. _**'These idiots don't stand a chance.**_'

_'Even if I wasn't, I'd rather fry them then date them. They're creepers!_'

She glanced back at the clock and resisted the urge to groan loudly. Was it frozen? It seemed frozen. She was sure someone had broken it just to piss her off. Her pen tapped repeatedly on her thigh as she waited anxiously for the bell.

After what seemed like forever, that heavenly sound, though it was actually a really annoying screech, went off and she wasted no time grabbing her things and bolting out the door. Man was college a drag! Now she could get back to the Soul Society and see everybody. But first, to find Yuzu. She had promised to take her younger twin home so they could pack before they headed off, Yuzu just as eager to see her brother as Karin was.

She caught a flash of white and grinned, heading over. Yuzu still took Shimmer with her everywhere, even if the healing dragon was too big to sit on her shoulder anymore. That made her smile fade a bit; if Shimmer couldn't sit on Yuzu's shoulder, why did that splash of white seem to be about that height? She pushed through the crowd, finally realizing that the white she had spotted was NOT the crystal dragonling.

He was dressed casually, suggesting a Gigai, his hands in his pockets, looking bored with being there. Teal eyes were turned upwards but it was obvious he was waiting. Her heart began to race and her smile grew wide.

"Whoa, who's that hottie?" Someone whispered behind her and she stiffened, smile fading.

"Don't know, never seen him. He's damn gorgeous though," Another girl giggled.

"Back off," Karin snapped and they jumped in surprise at her tone. "He's taken."

"Oh?" One of them put on a brave face. "Says who?"

Karin just smirked at them and walked towards the white-haired figure with purpose. She let her Spiritual Pressure flare for a brief moment and that entrancing gaze snapped in her direction, a smile gracing his features as she approached him.

"What brings you here?" She asked mischievously. "Haven't been here since my birthday."

"And here I half expected you to tackle me," He chuckled.

"I thought about it."

He hummed in response before his gaze flickered to the two girls watching them with gaping expressions.

"Do you know them?" He questioned her.

"No, but they really want to know you and I'm not about to let them," She linked his arm through his and started walking off, scanning the crowd for her honey-blonde twin.

"And you once said I was possessive," Though she wasn't looking at him, the sarcasm was clear in his tone and she could practically see his smirk.

She rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Hey, help me find Yuzu; we were going to head back to our dorm to pack for the Soul Society."

"Such a Kurosaki, still can't sense Spiritual Pressures."

"Shut up, there are too many people." She poked him sharply in the side and was rewarded with a grunt, though it was more of surprise than pain. It would take more than that to hurt him.

"Hmph, she's a few yards to your right and behind us. Shimmer's hovering above the crowd trying to spot you." They stopped walking as Karin turned that way, spotting the crystal dragon. Leaf green eyes spotted them and the sparkling white dragonling let out a happy chirp that they could hear from there, diving back down to supposedly her partner. "Now they're heading this way."

"I know the last part, dummy." This time she elbowed him. Well, tried to, he moved swiftly out of the line of fire while still remaining linked with her arm. She huffed at him but couldn't stay mad for long; it wasn't often he played around, his grin as contagious as it was rare. Then again, it wasn't as rare around her.

They waited patiently side by side while Yuzu rushed over, looking a little flustered, and straightening out her yellow sundress.

"Hey Karin," She smiled despite her panting. "Hey Toshiro! It's good to see you again!"

"And you as well." He paused as Shimmer flew over and curled her tail around his arm affectionately, rubbing her head against him. "And you too, Shimmer."

She gave a happy chirp that made the girls giggle before returning to her partner's side.

"Are you coming with us?" Yuzu looked up at the young king with wide brown eyes that absolutely no one could resist, just like no one could resist Sylfie's laughter.

"I'd planned on it," Toshiro replied with a small nod.

"Yay! The dorm isn't too far at least!"

She walked ahead of the pair with Shimmer gliding through the air above and beside them, the dragon adding in small bits of conversation as Yuzu chatted on about how school was, how she thought she did on the test, and life in general. Karin let her talk while occasionally replying to a question or putting in her own input on something. Toshiro remained quiet, arm still linked with Karin's and not about to remove it any time soon.

When they reached the dorm Karin gave a gentle tug on his arm, signaling she wanted him to stay outside for a moment. Yuzu walked on in, with Shimmer only glancing back briefly, and it was only then Karin turned to him.

"How long are you staying?" She'd meant it to sound innocent, but more of her uncertainty and longing had crept in than she'd wanted. As always, he noticed it instantly and frowned.

"A week. It was all I could get," He told her apologetically.

To his surprise, she smiled.

"That's better than just a day or two." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're here."

His smile was genuine and he returned her kiss, his on her forehead. They did this often when he came to visit, teasing the other to see who would snap first and go for the real thing. More often than not Karin lost as her impatience had her practically pouncing him. She refused to this time, though, and walked inside with an alluring glance and swing of her hips that she knew drove him crazy.

It didn't take long to pack, the girls already having done most of it as the end of school approached, eager to leave the World of the Living and rejoin their male half of the family. Now they just had to make a stop at Urahara's so Yuzu could pass through the special gate and Karin could drop off her body. From what he'd been told, though, Toshiro knew Yuzu was close to being able to separate from her body as a Soul Reaper like her sister, her constant interaction with the Soul Society and her own hidden power as a former member of the Royal Families boosting her Spirit Energy.

Kisuke greeted them with his usual enthusiasm, looking the same as ever, and gladly went down to set up the altered Senkaimon for them.

"Where did you get your Gigai, King?" Kisuke asked the white-haired man as they all followed him down, eyes alight with curiosity.

"It's just a shell of Spirit Energy." Toshiro replied, lifting his right hand out of his pocket. Now Karin understood why he'd never removed it, his birthmark still glowing brightly even on the faux body, something definitely noticeable to humans. It flashed a bit brighter and his outline blurred, shifting into his true self, a man dressed in a white Shihakusho and a dark blue haori with silver designs along the edges, a silver dragon curling around on the back. Senjumaru really loved to play up his power.

"Oh?" Kisuke was intrigued now.

"It takes quite a bit of Spirit Energy to maintain it, don't even think about trying to copy it." Toshiro snapped at him. The shop keeper huffed as if hurt by the suggestion but was clearly miffed about being told not to do it. The young man was scarily observant sometimes.

"Well, I suppose you best be on your way." He waved at them with his fan. "I'll be heading there eventually!"

"Okay!" Yuzu waved to him with a smile, never noticing his more sinister side that normally creeped everyone out.

Karin joined them after placing her body safely away, glad to finally be doing what she preferred. By her father's insistence she was still going through school and trying to live a mortal life, but more and more she found it all mundane and useless. She was following in her brother's footsteps, it seemed, and was far more eager to be in the Soul Society. Sometimes she'd help the squads with simple jobs and menial tasks just to get away from homework. And it wasn't just that human life was boring to her now, it's that everything about her life revolved around what happened in the realm of the spirits, including her love life.

The gates gave off a glow to signal they were ready and the group darted through. Thankfully Kisuke had upgraded the gate so it could stay open longer, since Yuzu wasn't the fastest runner, as well as avoiding the cleaner that ran through every so often that was capable of destroying them. Then again, they did have the Soul King with him. All he had to do was aim and fire, able to speak Kido spells in his head, never uttering a word aloud. It still amazed many Soul Reapers when they saw it happen themselves.

Light blinded them for a moment, forcing them to pause and adjust to the suddenness of it. Since Kisuke was no longer an exile, his makeshift Senkaimon had been hooked up directly to the main one, and it was there they found themselves. A small group of people and dragons awaited them there. Before anyone could move or speak, a scarlet blur shot forward and rubbed her head against her partner, purring happily.

"Easy, Dyrilæn!" Karin laughed at her dragon's enthusiasm. "You'll knock me over!"

"Your dragon's like a puppy," Ichigo laughed, walking up to them and ruffling his sister's hair.

"At least she's glad to see me," Karin retorted, pushing away her brother's hand. "Your dragon always looks like he's upset with you."

Ichigo glanced over to one of the dragons gathered, a large dragon of dark black, though his scales had a light blue fading to the edges, and eyes of gold. His forelegs were wings, making him look similar to a wyvern, his belly scales dark gold, spines down his back an even darker black than his scales, same for the crest over his nose, horns silver and curled down like a ram's. Aberon, the Dark-Lunar type dragon, and Ichigo's partner. True to Karin's words, he did seem mildly upset.

"Perhaps it's just a feature, like your brother's scowl," Toshiro remarked sarcastically.

"Says the Ice King," Ichigo growled back, making a jab at Toshiro's constant appearance of uncaring. Even now he seemed disinterested with staying among their group, Momo, Rukia and Renji stepping over to join them along with the Ice-Lunar dragon Tælaf.

"Oh, you're new," Yuzu said to the small Ice dragon with a smile, Shimmer hovering just behind her and also looking at the dragoness curiously.

"Tælaf," She replied with a short bow of her head. "I came here to find a partner, and I did."

"Who?" Karin questioned, her own partner still rubbing her head against her.

Smiling, Tælaf took a stance behind the petite Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen, Rukia beaming as if she'd just won a prize.

"Oh, how cool!" Yuzu grinned, rushing over and hugging the black haired girl. "I see more and more dragons each day, I wonder who else will get one."

"Tch, there's another dragon back at Squad Ten." Renji grumbled, upset about not getting a partner. Momo sighed at him. "Apparently she's Rangiku's partner, though."

"You had to have seen that coming, considering the kind of dragon Ahvain is." Toshiro said to the red-head.

"What is she?" Karin asked him.

"A Wind-Gravity, but it's more of her personality that made it obvious."

"She's annoying," Aberon growled.

"Perfect match then," Karin snickered, managing to get a laugh out of the Dark dragon.

"Well enough standing around, let's get to work," Rukia spoke above them, tone serious. "Karin, you're still trying to get Bankai, so we've got a lot of work to do."

"Oi, first day of summer break," Karin frowned. "Don't I get at least one vacation day?"

The Lieutenant chewed on that thought for a moment, looking back on her knowledge of human world traditions. The first day of summer was always a big thing to students, so she supposed one day of relaxing wouldn't be too bad. Plus, with Toshiro there, she'd probably be too distracted, as she usually was on his rare visits, which is why it had been surprising to see him back so soon. Best to wait until the king had returned home so Karin could focus better.

"Alright, but just for a little bit," Rukia shrugged, turning to Tælaf. "I haven't had a chance to get to know my partner anyway."

The Ice dragon purred at that.

The group started heading off into the Seireitei, talking amongst themselves. Tælaf had most of Rukia's attention during their trek, which upset Ichigo slightly, but that was remedied as Toshiro caught the orange-haired man's attention, Karin and Yuzu close by to hear him.

"Where's your father?" The young king questioned.

"Probably off drinking with Rangiku," Ichigo grumbled. "Why?"

"There's something I need to discuss with all of you Kurosakis. I'd prefer not to repeat myself and his thoughts are what I seek most on the issue."

"Issue?" Karin wrinkled up her nose, wondering if her family had maybe done something wrong. Other than maybe another drunkard in the city and Ichigo's fights with Kenpachi, they hadn't done anything drastic or damaging enough to warrant the Soul King's attention.

"Don't worry too much, no one's in trouble," Toshiro smirked slightly and she rolled her eyes, though she secretly wondered if he was psychic now, as that's exactly what she'd been worrying about.

Turns out, Isshin wasn't out with Rangiku getting drunk. He was sulking about NOT doing that, as Ahvain was taking up most of Rangiku's time that day, leaving him to drink alone. Thankfully he was still sober enough to have a decent conversation with, though Toshiro knew it took a lot to get the man drunk anyway and most of it was acting. Either way, he didn't need Isshin's drama at the moment, as this was a serious matter.

"I'll see ya later," Ichigo promised to Renji and Rukia as they walked off, Tælaf close behind and listening intently as the two Lieutenants told her about life in the Seireitei. Momo waved to them all with a grin in Toshiro's direction before heading off to her Squad barracks. Dyrilæn, Aberon and Shimmer were allowed to stay, being partners to the Kurosaki children.

"So, Toshiro," Ichigo crossed his arms and turned to the young king, his sisters beside him and Isshin wiping off that goofy grin to don a more serious expression, listening intently. "What did you want all of us for?"

"Before I tell you I need you to promise me not to speak of this to anyone unless I give you permission," Toshiro responded, his stance casual but tense, gaze looking between each of them with a slight intensity that made them nervous.

"That serious, huh?" Isshin frowned and the white haired young man nodded. "You have my word, Hitsugaya. I won't breathe a word of it."

Toshiro knew he was telling the truth, as the man kept his eyes locked with his own teal gaze, signaling he couldn't be any more serious. Now for his children.

"You know I won't tell anyone if it's that important," Karin promised. "And neither will Dyrilæn."

"Not that we can disobey the Dragon King," Aberon bowed his head down. "We drakes will remain silent."

"Agreed," Dyrilæn nodded. Shimmer just gave a short bark of sorts and wagged her tail.

Toshiro knew he could trust the dragons to remain silent. They respected privacy, being lone creatures themselves for the most part, not to mention they had to obey the one crowned their leader. The others were different…there was nothing to tie them to keep such a promise except their own respect and loyalty towards him, and Karin her affection. He hoped it was enough.

"I won't tell anyone, promise," Yuzu said with sincerity, and no one could deny that she was telling the truth.

Ichigo kept a scowl on his face; suspicious of what it was he was promising not to tell. But, there wasn't much he could pin against Toshiro to refuse it, and heaved a sigh.

"No one's getting anything out of me," he vowed.

Toshiro visibly relaxed his stance, a grateful look in his eyes. They waited with baited breaths for whatever secret it was the king was entrusting them with.

"I wish to restore your family's status as a Royal Family among my realm," he said clearly and they all let their jaws drop. But it wasn't over yet, as Toshiro looked right at Ichigo. "And you, Ichigo Kurosaki…I personally request that you become a member of Squad Zero, a Royal Guard."

Nothing was said. Silence stretched between the group as they all looked at Toshiro as if he'd grown a second head.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

**Bet most of you saw that coming with Ichigo ^^ And congrats to any who knew Taelaf was Rukia's dragon, haha. Enjoy! Beta'd by Writer of Craziness.**


	4. Rukongai Surprise

"I can't be any clearer," Toshiro sighed, starting to get irritated with them. He knew they'd have a hard time coming to terms with it, but he hadn't expected this much difficulty.

"But we're human," Ichigo argued. "Well…my sisters are."

"It's not like I'm having you all move in today." The young king rolled his eyes. "That's why I made you promise not to say anything; I know you all need time to think."

"And me in the Royal Guard? Are you sure?"

"The fact that I'm personally requesting it instead of having another guard come for you means yes, I'm sure."

"Surely there's some kind of rule against it…"

"Since when did you care?"

"And besides, the only reason I became a full Soul Reaper was because the old man said I would be stationed as Karakura Town's protector."

"Kurosaki, listen," Toshiro sighed and the orange-haired man stiffened. Ever since the young man had opened up, Toshiro only called him 'Kurosaki' when things were serious. "Karakura Town is losing its status as the Spirit-Enriched Zone…especially since you came here. The Hollows won't be massing into the town as much as they used to, any representative sent there can protect it. In fact, the more you linger in that town, the more danger it's in considering how much Spirit Energy you have now."

The Reaper scowled. Ever since taking the Five Trials his already intense Spiritual Pressure had gotten stronger, but at least now he could control it. Hitsugaya had a point.

"Your actions over the years have done the Soul Society a great justice." Toshiro went on, a little calmer now that Ichigo was quiet. "You've changed a lot of the things we…well, the things they do here now, and to be honest it was for the better. You saved thousands, perhaps millions by stopping Aizen from creating the King's Key. That kind of contribution is worthy of being promoted to Squad Zero."

"But could we come back?" Karin questioned. Sure, human life was mundane now, but she wasn't about to abandon it.

"I did." Toshiro shrugged. "Not everyone likes me for it, but I still come back here."

"Because you're as stubborn as these kids," Isshin chuckled.

"I'm king, there's not much they can do about it." Toshiro turned away stubbornly.

"I suppose not."

"Anyway, I'm giving you all time to consider it." He turned back to them. "There's no need for an answer right now."

Ichigo gave a short grunt in reply and scratched his head in thought. Royal Guard? Promising, as he could still be a protector, but considering the sparse interactions of the Royal Guard in Soul Society's past he wasn't looking forward to it. The job of the Royal Guard was to protect the king, in this case Toshiro, and the king usually never left. However, Toshiro was far different from past kings. He visited rarely, due to the amount of work he had, but he still visited, and there was always at least one Royal Guard around the Seireitei. But that was because of the demons. When all this was over, who's to say they would stay?

There were too many things to think about and he was glad he'd been given time to give it some thorough thought. He glanced at Aberon, wondering if his dragon had any good advice.

"I for one prefer the Soul King's realm." The Dark dragon shrugged. "But that's because I lived there in the wilds."

So much for that.

"We go where partner goes!" Shimmer purred, voicing what all dragons knew in their heart of hearts. Yuzu giggled and scratched her dragon behind the ears.

Nodding her head in agreement, Dyrilæn turned to her partner. She knew the girl had an even harder choice. No doubt the raven-haired teen wanted to be with the young king and was itching to jump at the chance to do so, but her hesitation was caused by her worry of ever seeing her friends here in the Soul Society again. There had to be a compromise. Perhaps they could live in the Soul Society instead? The Royal Guard was meant to protect the Royal Families as well as the king, but with one of the Kurosakis being offered the chance of becoming a Royal Guard, surely he could fulfill that role just fine.

Myndræl alighted on the ground next to them, greeting Dyrilæn with a purr, the dragoness purring back and touching her nose to his, before stepping over to his partner.

"I'll be around for a while, take your time," Toshiro said while turning to walk away, his dragon following.

"O-okay." Yuzu gave a small wave. "See you later, Toshiro!"

"Well," Isshin spoke up once the king was out of earshot, "I never would have suspected that."

"That's an understatement," Ichigo grumbled. "Royal Guard? He can't be serious."

"He already told you he was," Karin pointed out. "And he wouldn't lie about something like that."

"He isn't lying."

They jumped, turning to the sound of the soft voice and spotting Ruala, the woman's hood up but not hiding her face.

"He talked about it with all of us." She continued in her soft tone. "Only one disagreed with the idea. Five of six thought you would be a good guardian, three of them thinking you'll be great."

"Yeah, but…" Ichigo trailed off, not sure how to put into words what he was feeling. "You guys don't come here. That would mean I couldn't either, right?"

"You're changing things again." Ruala put her hands behind her back, her small white feline Sofia appearing at her feet, violet eyes full of mischief. "The Soul King lived his life here. He may have taken his father's place, but his heart still lies here."

The young man chewed on that thought for some time. As he did so, Karin stepped forward to ask a question.

"If we do accept, do we have to live in the Soul King's Realm?" She asked.

"That is preferred, but there is no law to demand it."

"So we could live here!" Yuzu grinned. "We kind of already do…"

"So much for trying to keep you human," Isshin huffed. "Well, I suppose it was bound to happen eventually." A grin spread across his face. "How my daughters have grown up! Masaki would be so-"

He paused midsentence as Karin elbowed him in the gut; he'd grabbed both her and Yuzu and tried to swing them around.

"Knock it off already, we're nineteen," She growled. "I'm gonna go talk to Toshiro, I'll see you guys at dinner!"

She took off in the direction Toshiro had gone, Dyrilæn taking off into the air to follow.

"We'll be at Squad Ten barracks!" Ichigo shouted after her.

The girl just lifted a hand in acknowledgement and vanished around the corner, her position only given away by the scarlet dragoness flying above.

"Ah, those two," Isshin sighed. "Every time he visits she's close beside him."

"He's wrapped around her finger," Ichigo snorted. "She's practically got him on a leash!"

"That's not true," Yuzu argued, her arms crossed. "You don't look close enough. She does a lot of things for him she'd never do for anyone else. The other boys in our school all have bruises trying to get her to do things she does for him."

"Like what?"

"Well when he makes sarcastic remarks she just remarks back and if he asks her to wait or be quiet for a moment, she does. It's the little things, Ichi, boys wouldn't understand." The honey-blonde grinned at him mischievously.

Aberon let off a loud laugh at that while Ichigo scowled.

"Shut up," He snapped at the dragon.

The demand was ignored.

Karin caught up to Toshiro as he was heading towards one of the gates, Myndræl walking calmly beside him with his head high.

"Where are you going?" Karin questioned curiously. What did he want in the Rukongai?

"To visit my grandmother," He responded easily. "Since I'm staying a week, I thought perhaps I'd visit her again. It's been awhile."

"Oh, well, guess I'll see you later." She began to turn away but noticed he had an odd look on his face. He seemed confused by her leave, a frown forming, and he stopped walking to turn towards her. "What?"

"Why don't you come with me?" He said, tone calm with a hint of curiosity in it, as if wondering why she WASN'T going with him.

"I don't want to intrude or anything." She scratched her head nervously, fidgeting with her long black ponytail.

"Nonsense." He grabbed her hand and started walking again. "It'll be like visiting Grandma Haru in the World of the Living, only my grandmother is…much older."

"Well duh, she's a spirit." Karin rolled her eyes.

He raised a single eyebrow at her but smiled at her sarcastic tone. Behind them, their dragon partners grinned at the interaction, glad their companions were still getting along. It was a slow relationship, which tended to annoy them, but for people of such opposites the dragons understood that things took time. Besides, Myndræl and Dyrilæn tended to argue just as much as their partners did. They had their cute moments, both pairings, but like every couple there were the rough spots.

"How far out does she live?" Karin asked after a moment.

"She's in the first district in the West Rukongai area, so not far." Toshiro explained.

His right hand shifted position, moving into a pocket to hide his mark. For a moment she was confused, before remembering that not everyone knew he was Soul king, only higher ups. Most were told he had simply moved up a rank, which to Soul Reapers meant the Royal Guard, they had no idea the white-haired young man among them was their king. Would his grandmother know? Had she heard?

The West Gate was opened for them and they paused to greet the gatekeeper, Jidanbo, who Karin had come to know quite well as she visited her extended family the Shiba Clan, who were friends with the giant.

"Where are you off to, Hitsugaya?" Jidanbo asked with a smile.

"Just visiting family," The young king replied. "We'll come back later."

"Should we come too?" Dyrilæn asked, bending her head down to them. Myndræl was looking up at Jidanbo, the man taller than him, and felt a little put off. He was a dragon…he was supposed to be bigger.

"Probably not, you'll scare the locals," Karin snickered and her dragon gave a snort, looking like she would come anyway. "Go bother Abe and Ichi."

"As fun as that is I'm not in the mood for it." The dragoness rolled her eyes. "Well, you two have fun; I'll find something to do."

"I won't be gone all day; you can live without me for that long."

Snorting again, Dyrilæn turned away and stalked off with her head held high. Sighing, Myndræl followed after her to cool her back down, leaving their partners to walk off into the Rukongai after a goodbye to Jidanbo. Dragons were fiercely protective of their partners, which meant they felt uncomfortable being out of sight for too long. They had also been told stories of dragons that had been separated too long from their other half, driven mad by stress and worry, unable to know whether or not they were dead.

The death of a partner caused the other to go mad.

The longest any of them had been without a partner was Karin, when she was separated for weeks in the World of the Living. She'd felt the stress herself, anxiety, fear. What was her dragon doing? Were demons attacking her? Was she eating? Constant worry, unable to focus. Similarly, she'd been told her dragon had paced for hours, counting down the damn seconds until her partner returned to the Soul Society. It was tiresome to watch, and very taxing on both sides of the partnership.

"Myndræl didn't seem all that concerned with staying," Karin spoke up. The king and his dragon had probably the closest bond, the two of them having been together longer, and yet they were very calm about being separated.

"Concern leads to stress and stress leads to panic," Toshiro answered her comment. "If we believe we won't see each other again, the panic sets in faster. By remaining calm we can get through the separation easier. Myndræl wanted to come with us just as much as Dyrilæn, but even partners like us need our own personal space. We're still two different species altogether, not like a zanpaktou and its master. Both sides need time among their own."

"Makes sense." Karin nodded her head. "What about you? Lilianna told me the stress is worse for the dragons, because they're like the guardians. But…I dunno, sometimes I worry a lot about Dyrilæn." She scowled. "I don't like being in the World of the Living for too long because I'm worried she's gotten herself hurt."

"Lilianna is right about one thing, the dragons are like our guardians, but I don't think she quite understands the complexity of the partnership." He paused, thinking harder on the subject. "She's never had a partner, never experienced it, and she said herself once that because of that she cannot speak firmly about what it means to have a partner. I believe both sides feel the pressure because of the connection. The partner worries because the dragon worries, which makes the partner return to the dragon…it's almost like the dragon is sending out a signal that brings their partner back to them, a mother calling out their child to protect them."

"A mother, huh?" Karin mused. "Yeah, that makes sense too…But you didn't answer my question."

He sighed heavily.

"Yes, Karin, I feel it too. I don't like to be away for too long but considering what I do sometimes it can't be helped. So, we found a method that helps, and it's been working so far." He glanced at her. "Perhaps you should try it with Dyrilæn. It'll help for when you go to the World of the Living."

"Yeah…" Her expression quickly changed from contemplation to curiosity as she looked ahead.

Toshiro followed her gaze, spotting a crowd of people, gathered around something and muttering in tones that sounded horrified, scared, and angered. What was going on? What were they looking at?

"Soul Reaper!" One of them shouted, spotting Karin in her Shihakusho and running over. "Please! This way!"

She removed her hand from Toshiro's and followed the frightened man through the crowd, wondering if someone was hurt. If so, why had no one done anything? Toshiro was right behind her, people thinking he was a noble of some sort and moving aside quickly for him, though he kept his hand in his pocket to avoid any further alarm.

Once through, the sight they were met with was not a good one. A body, torn and beaten, hardly recognizable to anyone. Blood was still flowing, which meant it was a recent kill, though who had done it was a mystery. If it had been a Hollow, they would have spotted it. If it had been a person, someone would be reporting the killer. As it was, everyone, including the man who had led her forward, just stared at the body in horror. The cuts also did not look like that of a person's hand could make…they were definite claws.

Karin felt a trace of dark Spirit Energy and paled. Demons. Demons had done this.

The air grew cold and she knew Toshiro had figured it out as well. This was new, something they had never done before. The demons only ever tried to break into the Seireitei. They left the Rukongai alone, focused on the Soul Reapers. What was so important about this old spirit that they had to rip her apart so brutally?

While Karin knelt next to the body to try and discern where the demon might have gone, Toshiro looked very carefully at it from where he stood. For some reason he felt he knew this poor person. Someone from his childhood days? The old ones were kind enough to him, if a little more stiff than with the other children, and he always gave them their deserved respect. The figure was small from what he could tell…almost like…

His eyes went wide with shock. This wasn't just one of the old spirits he'd known here; this person was special to him. For a moment, his control slipped, frost spreading over the ground and startling the villagers, frigid air laced with anger and pain blowing sharply over them all. Karin looked straight back up at him with worry in her eyes, sensing the emotions being put out by her boyfriend.

She almost wished she hadn't looked up. Though his face remained relatively calm, his eyes were blazing with an icy fury that made her shiver and inwardly cower away. He was beyond furious.

Then he was gone, once again startling the others, and she quickly followed him. His sudden burst of Spiritual Pressure would alert Jidanbo that something was wrong and someone would be by to calm the people. For now, she needed to calm him down.

Into the forest he vanished, but she knew how to find him, she always could. He was leaned against a tree, his back to her, hands balled into fists and stance tight. A familiar pose. She'd seen Ichigo do it before several times, though not usually in a forest, and she'd seen Toshiro have that same stance before; it was a stance to try and hide his grief. That meant he knew the victim of the demons. She was smart enough to know what that meant, a saddened frown forming on her face as she stepped over to him, withstanding the untamed pressure causing the forest around her to freeze, and held him tight. He attempted to move away but she would not let him run, not from her. Eventually, he gave up, returning her embrace.

"I'll kill him," Toshiro growled out, though his voice held pain and sadness as well, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I'll destroy him for this."

She said nothing. Trying to play it off as not a bother would just make him angrier, but she also didn't know the person well enough to offer any words of comfort to help him get through their death. All she could do was stand there quietly and let him fume.

Besides, if Kamai had sent demons to kill her grandmother, she'd probably threaten to kill him too.

* * *

**And...plot twist! Enjoy...well, that depends on which part you're reading, I guess...**


	5. Calming Down

Ichigo stood outside the Squad Ten barracks, a frown on his face as he looked for his sister. She was supposed to have been back by now. Next to him Aberon was taking a nap, unconcerned in the least about the fiery girl. Tælaf was sitting next to the black dragon, Rukia currently inside, and turned towards the distressed Reaper.

"She'll be back," The Ice dragoness promised.

"Tch, what is she doing anyway?" He scowled, jumping to various conclusions that he didn't like in the least. Surely Toshiro wouldn't be doing anything like that, right?

"I will not pretend to understand humans," Tælaf spoke. "But I would think for the two of them, they should be allowed their time together. He is king twice over, both for spirits and dragons. Such is not an easy task. He relishes his time here, both with her and with all of you."

"Still…"

His thoughts scattered as, in a flash of light, the two being spoken of arrived and he let out a sigh of relief. When he saw their expressions, however, he stiffened again. Karin was not smiling, face downturned, her grip on the white-haired being more of a forceful one than friendly, as if she was having to keep him steady. In turn, Toshiro seemed vacant, icier than ever, as if his mind wasn't all there. What had happened?

"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked, approaching them. Aberon picked his head up at the concerned tone in his partner's voice.

When Toshiro did not respond, it fell upon Karin to do so.

"That damned Dethmaiyn is at it again," She hissed.

"What happened? More demons?"

"They were gone by the time we got there, but…" She turned nervously to Toshiro. The young king had not moved, gaze fixed on the ground.

A rush of wind and the ice and fire dragon pair landed in the courtyard with them, Myndræl giving a comforting purr and pushing his head against his partner. Not even this got a response and the Ice dragon frowned, upset by the rejection.

Ichigo didn't know details, but judging by Toshiro's current state of numbness, it was something best not mentioned anytime soon. It would take time before he was ready to talk about it, and the Reaper understood that very well.

"You should get some sleep, Toshiro," Ichigo said.

Toshiro glanced up at him slightly. Hopeful, Myndræl tried once more to get a response, nosing his arm gently. Teal eyes turned to him, a hand lifting to rest atop the sapphire muzzle as they shared a private conversation. Karin turned to her brother.

"Sorry I'm late," She said.

"Don't worry about it." He waved it off, seeing as whatever had happened was enough torment for one day, probably more with how withdrawn the young king had become. "But it's getting kinda dark, you two should come inside."

The Kurosakis jumped as Myndræl gave a low growl in their direction before turning back to his partner. Clearly the dragon did not want his partner leaving his side just yet.

"I'll stay out," Toshiro said quietly, most of his focus in turn on the ice dragon.

Ichigo frowned but did not argue.

"I accept, by the way."

Confused, both dragon and king turned to Ichigo, silently demanding an answer to his strange comment. Karin was also confused, giving her brother a glance as if he'd lost his mind. Noticing this, Ichigo scowled at her before looking back at Toshiro.

"Being a Royal Guard. I'll do it," He clarified.

"Seriously?" Karin's eyes widened in surprise. "But…what about becoming Captain? Wasn't the Head Captain considering you for the Squad Thirteen Captain position?"

"Yeah, along with Rukia and dad," Ichigo shrugged. "But I have one condition."

Though still in a state of shock and grief, Toshiro managed to roll his eyes at the young man while awaiting the condition he had set.

"I stick with my family. Even if they decide not to be a Royal Family, I stay with them."

"Granted," Toshiro responded easily, turning back to Myndræl and scratching the drake under the chin, earning a purr.

"Now I-wait, really?" Apparently Ichigo had expected resistance to his request, completely caught off guard by the swiftness with which the white-haired being had accepted it.

"I know you well enough to know that you'd make such a request." His tone held no emotion, suggesting he still wasn't all there. "The Royal Guard is meant to protect the Royal Families and the Soul King. Your family may not be among the royals yet, but considering they are your blood relations and you have accepted the role they might as well be. Plus, there are six other Royal Guards." Now he looked once more at the taller Reaper. "I think I can handle my seventh being away all the time."

Karin laughed at that, as did Aberon and Dyrilæn. Truth be told, everyone was pretty sure Toshiro didn't need a guard. Oh Ruala was always around just in case, but even she had admitted that she would only help if she thought he truly needed it, which was a rare occasion in these past fights. With the Demon Lords still hidden away, there was no opponent strong enough to combat the Ice King.

"When you feel like coming inside, doors are open," Ichigo smirked, turning and stepping inside, out of sight.

Deciding not to follow, Karin stepped closer and gave her boyfriend a tight hug.

"I'm here if you wanna talk," She said quietly.

"Thank you," He whispered in reply, kissing her forehead gently. "I just need some time…"

"I understand." Hesitantly, she left his side and headed inside, knowing he needed some time to himself right now.

Once she was out of sight as well, Toshiro turned back to Myndræl and pressed his forehead to the leathery scales of the dragon's muzzle, cold as ice but comforting to him.

"So what happened?" Aberon asked, Tælaf beside him watching their king curiously, Dyrilæn picking a spot to lie down nearby.

"Don't worry about it." Was their reply.

Aberon snorted, clearly displeased with this answer, but Tælaf clipped him with her wing and glared to shut him up. Though a few years older, the Dark dragon was a little slow on the uptake…rather like his partner. In contrast, Tælaf kept up with stories of her fellow drakes, making sure she knew what was happening and what rules were in place so as to respond properly to any situation. The attitudes of these spirits and humans were still new to her, but she knew enough to understand that the Dragon King needed some time to process whatever it was that had happened, and only Myndræl would be privy to any secrets.

The three drakes gave a start as Myndræl let out a snarl of rage. He had been allowed to see what had happened and scorned the one who had caused his partner this grief. Standing calmly, Toshiro waited for the drake's overprotective side to calm down before speaking again. He had expected this reaction.

"Filthy beasts of darkness," Myndræl growled, already on his feet and tense, making Toshiro frown. This he had not expected. "Cowards of shadow! These slithering monsters will shatter under my claws for this."

"Myndræl, there's no need to be upset," Toshiro tried to calm the upset Ice dragon.

"Demon is not the right term for these unholy pests. To strike down an Elder is beyond cowardice!"

"Strike an Elder?" Dyrilæn bristled. In fact, all three of them did, their fangs gleaming as they bared them in anger. So that was the problem…Dragons held the utmost respect for the Elders and to harm one was considered cowardly and beast-like, as they had little power left beyond what they held stored within them. They considered his grandmother an Elder, and her death was like the death of one of their own, causing them to anger.

"This Dark Master finds new lows each passing night," Aberon snapped. "Whether it was his orders or simply a demon playing games, he will pay for harming an Elder."

"The other dragons must hear of this," Ahvain spoke, poking her head over the rooftop where she'd been attempting to sleep. "The demons must be punished."

"They will be." Toshiro assured, a little uncomfortable with how out of hand things had gotten. "But for now, don't make a scene. It's no doubt what Dethmaiyn wants."

"His goal was to harm you." Dyrilæn scowled, though it lessened as Toshiro glanced away, pain in his expression. "And you being our king we cannot sit idly by and let him."

"Though I appreciate the concern I just…" He paused, taking a deep breath before his emotions slipped through. "I just need some time to…to deal with this. The last thing I need right now is a fight."

Myndræl lowered his head in apology. He had overreacted and now the others were pressuring his partner for a fight. He hadn't meant to do that, he had just been furious with Kamai for striking such a painful blow, a coward's move. Sensing the dragon's sadness, Toshiro put a reassuring hand on his muzzle before stepping inside the Squad Ten barracks.

The current Captain seemed to be out at the moment, noticed mainly by the lack of a dragon outside; young Shadow. The others were in the lounge, however, but they did not press him for information. He sat quietly next to Karin and remained there the rest of the night, everyone trying to avoid any conversations that involved him for now, giving him his space. Karin put an arm over him to be silently supportive but likewise did not bother him with words. He made no move to be part of the conversation.

When Kadin Thane, the silver-haired Captain of Squad Ten, returned and dragged away Matsumoto and Rukia left to her own squad with Renji in tow, leaving the Kurosakis alone with Toshiro, did they turn to the quiet king.

"I won't ask what happened," Isshin sighed. "But you know you can talk to us if you need to, right?"

No words, just a small nod.

"Good. Now, even a king needs some sleep." He patted the young king's shoulder, those teal eyes glancing up at him in annoyance. "I suggest you get some."

With that the man left, whistling loudly as he went and being his usual obnoxious self. His children grimaced, though Yuzu giggled, and quickly changed the subject.

"So Karin says you'll be here for a week." Ichigo mentioned. "What all do you plan on doing in that time?"

"Waiting for your family to make a decision," He replied, meaning his offer to make the Kurosakis a Royal Family.

"We don't take that long to decide." A frown crossed the Substitute's face.

"You're here for Karin too, aren't you?" Yuzu gushed, poking the king's arm playfully. She giggled as he went a bit pink but he nodded to show that was true.

"Leave him alone, Yuzu," Karin rolled her eyes at her twin.

The black-haired twin yawned loudly, her siblings watching in amusement.

"I should probably get some sleep, that test wore me out," She sighed, standing. "Good night."

"Night, Karin." Yuzu waved her off. "Oh, I should probably head to bed too. Come on, Shimmer."

The small white dragon followed behind her like a happy puppy as she left to the room Kadin had given to her for when they stay over the summer. With the Kurosakis having so many connections to Squad Ten, he didn't see a problem with letting them remain there, and most of the squad already knew them. Ichigo was famous throughout most of the Seireitei, and Karin was starting to make herself known as well since she almost had Bankai, not to mention being the children of former Captain Isshin Shiba.

Muttering to himself, Ichigo took a seat next to the silent Ice King.

"Maybe the dragons should find another place to stay," He was muttering. "It's probably crowded in the courtyard."

"They won't leave their partners," Toshiro countered. "Especially the new ones."

"Yeah, that's how Aberon was." The man's brown eyes looked at the white-haired being curiously. Even though the boy was talking now, he was still clearly in a state of grieving, slouched over with his knee up to lean on, a saddened look in his eyes. Not to mention an aura of depression around him. Whatever had happened had hit him hard. "You look tired, Toshiro."

"A little bit, yes." Toshiro sighed lightly.

"Then get some sleep." Ichigo rolled his eyes as if in mockery, smirking. "I'm gonna go make sure Goat Face isn't doing something stupid."

"Good luck with that."

Ichigo laughed as he left; they both knew there was no stopping Isshin when he decided he wanted to do something. And if that something involved 'training' his son through random jump attacks, well…Ichigo had learned to live with it.

Toshiro waited a few minutes before standing and leaving the room, travelling down the halls.

_'Will you be okay?_' Myndræl's voice came through into his thoughts.

_'I'll be fine, Myndræl, don't worry. It was…just a shock, that's all. Just like when…when Ukitake died. I told myself not to let every death get to me._'

_'But that was your grandmother._'

_'I know…_' He reached the door he wanted and paused, wondering if he should really be bothering her. He was a king; he needed to support himself through times like this. Ever since the assault two years ago where they had lost many he had told himself to remain firm, to not get too attached, because he knew there would only be more lost. He had let hope slip in falsely that, because his grandmother was of the Rukongai, she would be safe from the demons. He should have realized the opposite, that her connection to him would threaten her as much as any Reaper, and that the demons had been waiting to slay her just before he could visit.

The door slid open and he was brought into a warm embrace; so she'd noticed him there. As he often did when upset, he buried his face at her neck, hugging her waist tight. Nothing was said, but he was fine with that.

"Come on," Karin said softly after a moment, pulling him inside. "You definitely need some sleep."

"I…I don't know if I can." Gaze fixed to the ground, he did not hide the sadness there. Any barriers he hid behind in public were removed when they were alone, and king or not he was still too young for everything happening to him.

"That's why you came here." Karin smiled, moving out of his grip and sitting on the bed, waiting for him to follow before she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right here, okay?"

He pulled her to him once more, a small smile on his lips and a warm feeling running throughout his body.

"Thank you."

"Hey, that's what partners are for." She chuckled.

They settled in to sleep, his arms around her in a protective manner but also in a way that suggested he wanted to make absolutely sure she was there with him. He was usually like this when they spent a night together after a long time away and she'd gotten used to it. Instead, she just turned so she was facing him and cuddled up close, bringing a smile to his face.

Whatever happened next, they would endure. Kamai would not get away with what he had done, that was for sure.

But the seeds of darkness were sown. A tiny shadow in the icy landscape, waiting to grow. The one thing that could kill without ever lifting a sword, the one thing that could torture without lifting a hand. The one thing that could break down the Soul King to nothing if left untreated.

Fear.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long, I was at a convention and my Beta was busy. But, it's here! Enjoy!**

**Beta'd by Writer of Craziness.**


	6. The Gates Come Falling Down

"Is that it, Karin?" Renji smirked, forcing Zabimaru to constrict back down as the one it had hit panted with exhaustion.

"Oh shut up," She grumbled, lifting up her fiery red rapier and letting it become coated in flames. "Once I get Bankai I'm kicking your ass!"

"Can't wait!"

Sitting at the sidelines, Toshiro watched them with some amusement. It was almost exactly like a fight between Renji and Ichigo, only Karin used fire and was actually capable of Kido, even using hand-to-hand when the long rapier became a hindrance. She was better adapted to other styles than her brother because her power didn't come to her as quickly as her brother's. As such she easily became a hard opponent to fight. Even without Bankai she definitely had the capability of becoming a Captain, mainly because of her 'upgrade' in the Soul King's Realm taking the Five Trials.

Leaving them to it as they crossed swords once more, Toshiro turned to the book in his hands, able to read and remain up to date with the battle. It had been three days now since he'd first arrived, and Karin wanted to get back to her training, meaning Toshiro had to find his own entertainment until she was done, hence the book. He didn't mind all that much, though, and he particularly liked this book.

A flare of Spiritual Pressure and the young king frowned. Oh he did not need this right now. Every time he visited the Squad Eleven Captain attempted to pick a fight with him. There were several problems with that. First, Ruala was very adamant about not letting him fight unless he absolutely needed to and tended to step in the minute Kenpachi Zaraki approached, as he could sense her doing now, which irritated the warrior. Also, Toshiro's power as king surpassed that of even Kenpachi's massive amounts of power, meaning he'd win anyway. However, if Kenpachi miraculously managed to pull ahead and injure him, and no doubt attempt to kill, there was a high risk of the realms starting to break apart. Hence why Ruala prevented the fight before it could even begin.

Frown still present, Toshiro continued reading and let the Royal Guard take care of it. As much as she despised fighting, Ruala was willing to spar with Kenpachi so that he would at least stay away from the king. He hated making her do that, but he wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone right now, especially that hot-headed Captain.

A shout averted his attention to the battle. The shout was a startled yelp from Renji, a fiery form standing between him and an equally shocked Karin. Homuratei. Karin's zanpaktou spirit. The flame-covered Wyvern turned to her master, her tail lashing out behind her to back off the red-head at her back.

_**'It seems Homuratei wishes to further her training in Bankai,**_' Hyorinmaru muttered.

_'I didn't expect her zanpaktou to be so aggressive about it, usually zanpaktous fight tooth and claw against their masters learning Bankai,_' Toshiro responded, watching the event play out with interest.

_**'Because we want to see how resolved you are to truly master us.**_'

_'Homuratei must be worried to push her master into learning it against her will._'

Lessening the fire, Homuratei lifted her head high, heat waves making the air around her shimmer and seem rather menacing. Renji Flash Stepped up near where Toshiro sat, crossing his arms to watch this play out, to see what would happen between the zanpaktou and its Soul Reaper. Karin stood firm before her spirit, the initial surprise gone.

"Coming out without me calling you, how rude." Karin smirked.

"**Hmph, how about you stop playing around with monkey-boy and try for a real battle?**" The wyvern snapped back with equal mirth, fangs gleaming as she grinned.

"Monkey-boy?" Renji's brow twitched. "Just because she's a god damned dragon doesn't mean she can insult Zabimaru."

"She's a wyvern." Toshiro corrected, the Lieutenant giving out a huff. "And who said she's insulting Zabimaru?"

"Alright then." Karin's voice caught their attention again before Renji could make a retort. "Ready to give me Bankai?"

"**Ha!**" Fire burst forth as the spirit laughed. "**In another decade, maybe!**"

"We'll see about that!"

Homuratei didn't hesitate to start the fight, digging the claws of her fore-wings into the ground, fiery cracks spreading across the ground of the Sixth Squad training arena and spouting lava from large holes that appeared.

"At least it goes back to normal when they finish." Renji grumbled as the earth became spider-webbed with fire-spouting cracks.

Toshiro just grimaced a bit at the heat, letting his Spiritual Pressure rise just enough to keep himself cool and perhaps Abarai too as he started to sweat. It would only get worse if their battle start was anything to go by, flames searing the earth and rising into the sky. Teeth and claws meeting sword with very close encounters. Though unhappy with how brutal Homuratei was to her master, Toshiro dared not interfere, as not even he had the right to stop a battle between a Reaper and their inner spirit.

"Jeez, watching this almost makes me think she went easy on me." Renji laughed, before pausing. "…Almost."

He turned to Hitsugaya to see what he thought of the battle, only to see the boy looking upwards, frowning and concentrated.

"Something wrong?" Abarai asked, only to get silence as his reply. Whatever the white-haired being was focused on, it had all of his attention.

Then, just as soon as it had come, Toshiro's strange attitude was gone, his gaze returning to the book in his hands as if nothing was wrong. Utterly confused, Renji just let him be and continued to watch Karin spar with the giant wyvern of flames.

In truth, Toshiro was still nervous. What he had sensed was a cause for concern, but it was so faint he couldn't be sure if it was actually a threat. The barriers had been strengthened significantly by Ruala's special light, meaning the demons couldn't get in as quickly as they had once before, but the stronger ones were capable of creating gaps. One small gap was all the demons needed to flood in like a wave of shadows and attack. Surely they wouldn't attack with him here.

_'Shall I investigate?_' Myndræl spoke, sensing his partner's distress.

_'I doubt it's anything, but better safe than sorry._' Toshiro confirmed.

A shadow passed overhead as the Ice dragon moved towards the source of alarm, having been outside the training grounds with Dyrilæn while they trained. Surely there would be nothing, just a scout or something that posed no threat, nothing that could do any harm to the barrier. That in mind, Toshiro turned his attention to Karin and Homuratei, having abandoned his reading after repeated distractions. She was tiring, that was obvious, but the determined fire in her eyes kept her going, defending blow after blow and trying to figure out what it was the spirit wanted from her to achieve Bankai. Every spirit was different. Just because they were fighting didn't exactly mean that Homuratei wanted her to win to achieve it. Perhaps there was a special circumstance needed to prove herself worthy.

A strike from a flame-covered tail knocked her down, sword clattering to the ground.

"**You can no longer hold me.**" Homuratei rumbled, voice a little softer than before as her master struggled to stand. "**This battle has ended**."

"No…wait." Frustrated, Karin gripped tightly to the golden hilt and used it to help her get back on her feet, her muscles aching in protest to the abuse, wanting to just freeze up and stop moving. Sheer willpower prevented it. "I'm gonna…get…that Bankai…I promise…"

"**Not today**." Homuratei sighed. "**You aren't doing what I suggested. This won't earn you Bankai.**"

The fires were dimming, the cracks reversing themselves and returning to normal. The damage done seemed to become undone, anything related to fire vanishing in an instant and leaving only gouges and dents in the earth that were easily fixed, considering such damage was common in the arenas. Homuratei was turning to flame and vanishing.

"Dammit." Karin scowled, upset with failing yet again to achieve the power her brother had so easily gotten. How could she pass the Five Trials in seven weeks yet not obtain Bankai after almost two years of training?

The air cooled, a welcome refreshment to her burning muscles. Problem was, that made her body turn to jelly and become unable to support her, knees buckling as she fell to the earth. Thankfully, a pair of strong, cold arms caught her before she hit and assisted her in standing.

"You and Ichigo both fight until you drop." Toshiro chuckled.

"Shut it." Karin grumbled, too tired to take his sarcasm.

Instead of taking offense, Toshiro just sighed lightly and lifted her up, carrying her over to the exit where Renji was already waiting, the hooded figure of Ruala standing nearby. Fortunately, Ruala's healing magic worked like Healing Kido, healing the spirit which made for faster healing wounds.

"Normally I'd say I can walk, but I can't even feel my legs." The raven-haired girl in his arms grumbled.

He frowned, concerned just how much she'd pushed beyond the limit, and whether or not that would have any lingering negative effects. He usually never got to see her practice Bankai, as he'd never stayed so long before, so he wasn't sure if she was always like this after training. Whatever the case, it upset him to see her like this.

"You look worse than Ichigo does after a spar with Kenpachi." Renji teased, smirk wide.

"The minute you step outside Dyrilæn will fry your ass." Karin spat back, grumpy from pain and exhaustion.

The red-head flinched back, unsure if she meant it or not, while Ruala silently stepped closer and cast her magic. As the spell washed over her in a calming wave, she let out a sigh of content and leaned her head on Toshiro's shoulder while it took effect, her energy starting to return and her Spirit Energy setting to work on healing the wounds. It was a temporary effect, though, as the happy feeling left her.

"Are you always like this?" Sofia questioned from her master's shoulder, violet eyes mischievous.

"What?" Karin looked at her curiously without picking her head up.

"Fighting to the point of death? That's a very unhealthy habit." Sofia shook her head in mock disappointment. "Not to mention it worries the young king."

Having been about to send a retort at the feline for the first sarcastic comment, Karin froze midway into forming the words and then closed her mouth, guilt spreading quickly at the thought of worrying Toshiro. The point of getting Bankai was so he wouldn't worry about her.

"Alright, I can stand now," Karin said with a slightly demanding tone.

She felt his grip on her tighten slightly, saw his teal eyes turn to her with a concerned expression, before he obliged and set her on her feet.

Not seconds after did he let out a yelp of pain and fall to his knees.

"Toshiro!" Karin shouted in alarm, kneeling down next to him and wondering how he'd gotten hurt. His hand was at his heart, gripping tight to the fabric, the mark on his hand flaring with an icy light as his power flared, taking her breath away for a moment as she was unprepared for the sharp increase. She had to raise her own Spiritual Pressure just to get her breath back and speak. "Toshiro, what's wrong?"

He didn't answer at first, eyes shut tight with pain. Ruala was at his other side, wondering what could have caused this as she sensed no Fear. Or, at least, not enough to cause him harm.

"M-Myndræl." Toshiro finally choked out. "He's…no!"

Without further explanation he was gone, speeding towards his dragon with panic common in those whose partners had been injured.

_'Myndræl!_' He called out mentally, tone pleading for a reply to make sure the Ice dragon was indeed alive, that the stab to his heart had not been the death of his partner. Not so soon after losing someone else important to him. Not now.

No reply.

'_MYNDRÆL!_'

The silence was horrifying, the worry he could normally set aside rising to a level he could not control with thoughts of the sapphire body possibly laying prone somewhere near the walls. He should not have sent Myndræl alone. He never should have doubted the danger posed by demons. They were tricky beasts, willing to resort to anything, such as killing helpless souls, to get what they wanted.

But as his worry rose, so did his fury. How dare Kamai attack his dragon! The Dark Master would suffer for this.

His speedy Flash Step brought him straight to where his dragon was, near the South Gate, and as he spotted the large beast he feared the worst. Crimson was splashed across the sapphire scales, breathing shallow. There was a gash straight across his chest. Fortunately, the demon responsible was currently crushed between Myndræl's jaws, the blade responsible for the wound broken in pieces, the end still attached to the dark creature jagged and cutting into the demon itself now.

"Myndræl!" Toshiro landed near the large head as his dragon dropped the horrid creature, spitting out the distasteful black blood. "How did it get past?"

"The one…called Erol…let it in." Myndræl panted, attempting to stand. His partner forced him back down and tried his hand at Healing Kido on the wound before any more blood was lost.

Erol Nightstalker, one of the few humanoid looking demons left, his partner Star Blodgharm killed off two years ago in one of his assaults. So he was back again for another go, it seemed, only this time he was being cautious, not letting in a swarm of demons but one or two deadly assassins, which thankfully Myndræl had apprehended and killed before any harm was done. The wound he had received, though, was worryingly deep and bled far too much.

"Just hold still." The tone of Toshiro's voice was still somewhat panicked, his hands shaking a little at the thought of how close he'd been to losing his partner. Surely Karin would get Shimmer before coming, or at least a healer, someone better at this than him. He would not let Myndræl die.

The Ice dragon let out a hoarse purr to ease the tension, turning his head so he could nose the young king gently. He spared a concerned glance before returning to his healing.

"Toshiro!"

At the familiar voice his heart lifted, hopeful, and he turned to spot Dyrilæn landing with both Kurosaki twins upon her back, the small Shimmer holding onto the scales behind them before gliding quickly over to her wounded kin. Karin had done exactly what he'd hoped, her sister rushing over behind her dragon with a satchel at her side of the plants Shimmer ate to gain her healing powers. It was less exhausting for Shimmer to have the plants ready instead of having to grow them herself and then use them to heal.

Toshiro gladly moved aside as Shimmer examined the wound and instead knelt by the Ice dragon's head, one hand upon his muzzle. As he did so, Karin came to his side and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I got here as fast as I could," She said softly. "What happened?"

"Nightstalker." Toshiro replied. She could feel him shaking a little and knelt beside him. "He let a demon in."

"Bastard." Karin then growled, letting him hold onto her while looking over at Yuzu and Shimmer as the two healers went to work, the latter swallowing a few plants and turning back to the wound, scales sparkling even more with built up power. "Guess he's not done yet. But why wait two years?"

"There's no telling." Dyrilæn snorted, her gaze towards the walls to spot any other possible gaps. "But I'm gonna roast him."

Myndræl gave a low rumble of thanks and the dragoness turned to him, touching noses with him gently. At his chest, Shimmer breathed out a pearly green smoke onto the wound. The smoke shimmered with light and took effect immediately, working at the tissue and speeding up the healing process. The blue dragon hissed as the wound closed up, causing a bit of pain, before it faded as all was done and left nothing but a pale blue scar. Shimmer nodded, satisfied, and turned back to the satchel in Yuzu's hands to find a combination that would help replenish the lost blood within the dragon's body.

"See, he's all better." Karin grinned up at Toshiro.

As if waiting for those words the young king relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief, the panic and worry from before leaving him. Unseen, Ruala frowned, as even though the danger had passed, there was darkness already inside. The demon had been killed before it could do any harm, how had the Fear gotten there? Did they now have a way to pass it through the bonds between dragon and soul? She didn't worry too much, as Karin's presence usually removed the Fear from him.

There was a sound. Hardly noticeable, a tiny noise on the wind. It could easily be passed off as a tree snapping or someone cracking their knuckles loudly. Most nearby ignored it. But most were not tied to a creature with heightened senses.

Dyrilæn and Myndræl both lifted their heads towards the gate. Sofia appeared near them as a large white panther, hackles raised and saber fangs gleaming as she snarled in the gate's direction. Shimmer gave a short yip of alarm and pushed her partner away, frightening Yuzu a bit, before looking to the gate with worry.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked his dragon, moving to stand beside him and follow that icy gaze while Karin went over to Dyrilæn, confused.

The dragons both let out low growls deep in their throats, a signal of danger.

"This battle not yet over," Shimmer whimpered, standing protectively in front of her partner but shivering as well, hoping the larger dragons and the Royal Guard could fend off this evil behind the gates.

The sound went off again and the four spirits listened closely this time, trying to figure out what it was. The beasts became tense, Dyrilæn and Sofia nearest the gate as they were more prepared for a fight, Myndræl still fighting off the dizziness of blood loss. Toshiro scowled as he realized he'd left Hyorinmaru back at the arena in his haste to get to his injured partner. Kido it was.

"The demon was a distraction," Ruala said as she joined them, her blades shooting out from her sleeves as she activated them. "We weren't supposed to kill it so quickly."

"Good thing Myndræl did, then." Karin scowled, drawing her zanpaktou. Homuratei hummed for a fight.

There was a tense moment of silence, waiting to see what was going to happen, wondering if they really could get through. Yuzu had already taken the chance to send word with a butterfly to the other Captains, hoping to prepare them if something does happen.

This time the sound was nearly deafening as cracks spread along the gate. Their worst fears were realized in that moment.

The demons were trying to break open the gate.

* * *

**Time to get some action in here! Enjoy!**

**Beta'd by Writer of Craziness**


	7. A Demon's Rise and Fall

Flashing over the rooftops, Renji hurried to the South Gate, the blade in his hand icy to the touch. How could Hitsugaya so easily leave behind his zanpaktou? Then again, if he assumed right the young king's other dragon had been in danger, which probably wiped all other thoughts from his mind. Either way, he was going to return Hyorinmaru no matter what, especially after that powerful surge of dark Spiritual Pressure he'd felt in their direction.

There was a blur next to him and he found Ichigo beside him.

"You get the butterfly?" The young man questioned, face carrying a morbid expression.

"No, but I think I can guess what it's about," The Squad Six Lieutenant replied. "Demons?"

"Yeah, breaking through the South Gate according to Yuzu. Ruala, Toshiro and Karin are all there too, as well as their dragons and Sofia."

"I know, they were all just with me at the Squad Six barracks while Karin was sparring." The red-head held up Hyorinmaru. "Hitsugaya left this behind; apparently Myndræl got hurt so he rushed off without it."

"Myndræl got hurt?" Ichigo frowned further. "Great, and if Karin was sparring again she'll be exhausted."

"Good thing we're heading that way."

Simply nodding, Ichigo went quiet and they continued their run, nearly to the gate. A shadow passed overhead as Aberon headed forward on faster wings towards the danger, adrenalin rising at the excitement of a fight with demons. He'd been longing to tear apart the beasts that would so carelessly harm Elders and dragonlings alike. No more of his kin or their partners would die by their clawed limbs. Feeling this through their bond, Ichigo tried to go a little faster to catch up, though for him it was a need to protect his sisters.

They landed just as the thick stone walls of sekkisekki burst apart in a violent explosion. Ruala was quick to create a shield around them as the rubble fell, grunting a bit as the heavy boulders tested her strength. Thankfully her magic was plenty strong and they remained safe from the debris.

"Here, thought you might need this." Renji held Hyorinmaru out to the white-haired king.

"Thank you." Toshiro nodded, taking his sword gratefully from the Lieutenant before turning back to the destroyed gates, the giant gate-keeper lying dead on the ground behind it, though there were plenty of demon bodies still disintegrating into ash that proved he had not gone down without a fight.

"How did they break the gates, anyway?" Ichigo scowled. "I thought it was impossible."

"Demons don't use Spirit Energy, just something similar, so the sekkisekki doesn't affect them," Toshiro replied. "That's why Ruala put up an extra barrier, one that does affect them. But someone broke it."

"How clever of you!" A sinister voice jeered, a humanoid figure standing atop the body of the gatekeeper. Erol Nightstalker. "Your cautious nature ruined my surprise, Soul King, but I brought enough demons that it shouldn't matter, especially with your beast wounded."

The other dragons bristled at having their kin called a beast and Toshiro himself gave a fierce glare to the one who spoke.

Erol simply smirked at the reaction, lifting up a hand and letting a loud snap echo around them. The demons massed below him began to move.

"Damn..." Renji's eyes widened at the black mass heading towards them. "That's a lot of demons."

"They can come by the thousands!" Aberon roared. "I will crush them all!"

His black wings spread out wide as he launched himself at the front of the demon army, jaws wide with shadowy fire gathering in his mouth. The darkness of the Dark type dragons differed from the demons Fear darkness enough that the latter could be hurt by the black fire, but only just. Any closer and the demons would be completely immune to the Dark dragons. As it was the black fire that engulfed them did little damage, but Aberon knew this. That's why he continued his charge. His fire was only to temporarily blind the beasts while he got closer to them.

"Sofia!" Ruala called to her companion, running forward with light sparkling across her blades; the most powerful weapon against demons was Light.

The feline leaped into the air and shifted into a phoenix with beautiful white feathers, light pink on the edges of her wing feathers and striped across her long tail feathers, light blue swirling across her body. Silver feathers rested behind cream-colored horns and she gave out a musical cry from her golden beak, golden claws reaching for the closest demon, golden eyes focused on her target. The demon she snatched screeched in pain as her radiance washed over it, her beak digging into its neck.

The air turned cold as Toshiro prepared to join the fight, Renji and Ichigo already splitting off to keep the demons from escaping around the sides. The young king stood in front of his injured dragon, daring any of the creatures to approach while he still could fight.

"This fight will be your last, Soul King!" Erol called out, motioning for some unseen force to move.

Black lifted into the sky and the fighters scowled; a flying demon. Dyrilæn was the one to respond this time, leaping into the air and letting out her crimson flame onto the beast. It gave an angry screech and twisted its neck around, jaws latching onto the dragoness's foreleg. Below, Karin flinched as her arm began to hurt but did not let it distract her, shifting into Shikai and sending her fire into the mass of bodies.

Toshiro turned back to his dragon.

"Can you at least walk?" He asked.

"I'm well enough for that," Myndræl nodded.

"Yuzu, you and Shimmer get away from here with Myndræl. He'll at least protect you from any strays."

"Okay," The blonde nodded, carefully getting atop the blue dragon's back as he stood. "I'll make sure to get help!"

The young king just nodded before turning back to the battle. He'd waited long enough. Erol had to be killed to end this onslaught as quick as possible.

A burst of raw Spiritual Pressure alerted him to Kenpachi's presence. So help was already on its way. The fight-crazed Captain had increased his already high Spirit Energy levels by a good amount during his training in his realm, so the demons would hardly stand a chance. Even before the training he'd been able to kill many of the dark monsters before feeling fatigued and wounded.

Teal eyes focused onto the black-haired figure standing atop the prone body of the gate-keeper, watching with a smug look as his demon army began pressuring the fighters; there simply wasn't enough of them and too many of the creatures were getting through the holes in their defense. He tried to remember what Nightstalker was capable of doing; demonic abilities, much like Gralio, but a better strategist. He protected himself better, had magic skills nearly equal with the Demon Leader of Magiks, Firiat Tavain, who could fight on par magically with Ruala herself. This would be troubling. Luckily Erol had little skill with weapons and depended almost solely upon that magic, and Toshiro had trained long and hard with Ruala to defend against magic while sword-fighting.

Assessment made, Hitsugaya entered the battle, leaping over the battle below and right to Erol. The man seemed to expect this, raising a barrier. An energy dragon quickly took it out, forcing Erol to summon a sword in order to block the icy blade belonging to his enemy.

"The Dark Master will praise me for your head," Erol said with a malicious grin.

Toshiro frowned. From what he'd heard in Erol's last attacks the man could keep his calm well and that it was his partner, Star Blodgharm, who had a temper. So why was this enemy now acting insane? Did his partner's death really set him off that much?

"I recall your master saying he wants to be the one with that honor," Toshiro said in reply wanting to gauge just how far gone this man was.

"He doesn't need to dirty his hands with your blood. That's why we're here, after all."

"Did he order this attack?"

Erol frowned. Bingo.

"Surely he wouldn't approve of this," Toshiro continued, finally moving as he twisted his blade and removed the black blade out of his enemy's hand, going in for another strike.

Scowling, Erol jumped back away from the blade, the tip grazing his arm as he lifted it to block his neck. Ice covered the wound and began to creep along the man's arm, numbing it.

"It doesn't matter." Erol growled, shaking his arm a bit to see just how much motion he had left in it. It was practically useless now, so he didn't bother removing the ice, simply placing shadows long his shoulder so that it couldn't spread past it. "As much as I respect the Dark Master, he has waited far too long to act. Two years? What is he thinking, letting you roam around for that long?"

"That's a question I've asked myself many times." Toshiro swung his sword upward, creating a large ice dragon, ready for use. "It seems you won't be able to answer my questions, then."

Nightstalker let out a feral growl and motioned for several demons to come forth and protect him. Grotesque, canine-like demons crawled forward to answer that call, hissing at the man before them.

Not threatened in the slightest, Toshiro sent the ice dragon forward onto the creatures. These seemed to be a little smarter than most of the grunts down below, avoiding most of the ice and continuing a charge even as the ice attempted to consume them. Two of them came at his sides but he quickly moved back, letting them hit each other before slashing through the air and killing them both, spinning around and blocking the claws of a third. It snarled at him, jaws snapping a little too close to his face for his liking. Narrowing his eyes at it, Toshiro quickly pushed it off before summoning forth the chain-blade of his weapon and encasing the demon in it. The last two approached from behind, one going for his leg to immobilize him and the other his neck.

A silent Kido killed the one going for his neck and he jumped above the one going for his legs, landing atop it and digging in his sword to kill it. That took care of the demons Erol had called, now for Erol himself. The man had taken his chance to move further back, mingling in with the rest of the army still trying to get in through the gates.

"I'll just kill you with the rest of your army." Toshiro called out loud enough to be heard, moving off of the dead gate-keeper. He'd been careful not to cause any more harm to the giant's body as he was not one to mutilate the dead. Hopefully when this was over he could be given a proper burial as the warrior he was for holding out against such an army as long as he could.

Now that he stood in front of the giant he dragged the tip of his blade in a semi-circle in front of him, his Spirit Energy rising higher.

"_Frozen Prairie._"

The field of ice spikes rose up over the ground, decimating a good amount of the demon force that stood upon the ground. Several more flying demons nearly as big as Myndræl lifted into the sky, avoiding the attack completely and flying overhead to head into the Seireitei. That was fine, the others could handle them. There were few demonic soldiers inside now, and he was blocking the rest from entering their only point of entry. To get inside they would have to kill him first.

Focusing his power forward, he pressured the rest still standing, watching the weaker ones fall to his power and disintegrate. Those that could still move howled in fury and charged him, their disfigured forms pushing past each other to be the first to the prey.

Toshiro sighed as though the approaching mass was just a group of arguing children, lifting his blade back into a fighting stance. These types of demons held no threat for him. His only worry was the location of Erol. Now that he was out of sight he had time to come up with an attack plan and form protective spells, which would make him more difficult to kill.

"You really shouldn't be on the front lines."

The voice surprised him for a moment as two figures landed before him; Shunsui Kyōraku and the Royal Guard Senjumaru Shutara. This was unexpected.

"They are after your life, King; you really shouldn't go rushing forward into danger," Senjumaru chided as if he was still the same naïve child she had first rescued from Gralio.

Toshiro scowled at her for the lecture. She knew full well he could handle himself against an army of this caliber.

"Whoo, that's some intense Spiritual Pressure," Kyōraku whistled. Being in front of Toshiro he could feel the full force of what the young king was putting onto the demons. Thanks to training in the Soul King's realm and his own experience with such high level force the Captain was truly not very pressured, but he was still impressed as the young king wasn't even in Shikai yet.

Toshiro did not let up and just scowled at him too, frustrated with their interference. Their help had not been needed.

The first of the demons leapt at them. Senjumaru cut them down easily while also casting silent Kido spells in quick succession, weaker than they could be but effective against numerous enemies. Kyōraku Shikai made quick work of the demons on his side as well.

A shadow flashed past them and Erol lifted a blade to strike at Toshiro, eyes gleaming with bloodlust and smiling victoriously.

The blade was blocked and a hand put to his chest.

"That was predictable," Toshiro said to the surprised Nightstalker.

Blue fire flashed as he cast Sokatsui silently, sending the offender blasting away, hitting the ground roughly and rolling for several feet before he came to a stop.

"See? I can handle myself," Toshiro shot in Senjumaru's direction. The guardian grinned foxily at him.

A few of the demons approached where Erol lay, wondering if he was dead or not and if they should retreat. It was quite obviously a losing battle but if the man had faith they could win they'd keep going. If he was dead, they might as well take him as payment in food for this battle and leave quickly while they could.

Erol's hand shot up and latched onto the neck of one demon, crushing it and absorbing its energy while it faded away with a pain filled shriek. The other demons quickly backed away.

"Well, well…it seems we have a new development here," Kyōraku mused. "Looks like the human ones can absorb the others."

The other two with him said nothing, simply prepared for a battle. Another figure joined them and Toshiro was surprised to see Karin.

"The rest of the army is pretty much done," She reported, hiding the wounds on her arm before Toshiro saw. She was still exhausted from Bankai training and had let her guard down. "This all that's left?"

"Guess we got lucky," Shunsui sighed. "You guys held off the main force long enough for back up. Otherwise there would be a lot more dead."

"Don't count yourselves lucky yet, Reapers," Erol growled at them, standing back up. The demons left were all stronger than the grunts sent forward at the start of the attack, holding up just fine against the multiple Spiritual Pressures pushing down on them. "I have yet to give this my all. Your meddling has frustrated me and I will let you live no longer!"

"Yet to give this your all?" Erol looked up at the newcomer, spotting Kenpachi grinning down at him atop the giant. "Well then, let's see what you've got, hm? I've been bored all day and this so-called 'army' of yours is too pathetic to even call a warm-up."

Shadows spiraled up around Erol as the man's anger rose, dark Spiritual Pressure pushing back against all of theirs. They shifted into a battle stance, Kenpachi laughing as he prepared for an entertaining fight. The demons hissed and growled, inching forwards as the shadows brought forward by Erol gave them power.

"You're mine, Soul King," Erol hissed.

A flash of fire and suddenly Erol was knocked to the ground. The demons whimpered and backed away from the new person standing over their leader. A petite girl with long black hair in pigtails and bright blue eyes.

"He's yours?!" Firiat Tavain spat at the unconscious man under her foot, which they noticed was practically barefoot save for thin golden fabric around the soles and tying up her ankle with small golden bells on them. The rest of her was hidden under the red robe she and the other Demon Lords wore. "You dumbass, the Dark Master specifically said HE had to kill the king, not some pitiful grunt like you!"

"Tavain." Toshiro's eyes widened in surprise. Why had a Demon Lord revealed herself? And why was she taking down one of her own allies?

She looked up as her name was called, the spiteful look in her eyes replaced with mischief and malice, along with a playful smile that made them shudder.

"Sorry folks, this one has been naughty lately," She picked up the one she spoke of as though he were nothing despite being thinner and smaller than him and tossed him over her shoulder. "I assure you he'll be punished for being so stupid."

"I don't care about what happens to him," Hitsugaya snapped quickly, stepping forward a bit and glaring at the girl. She paused in her turn to walk away and looked at him curiously. "What I want to know is why you're here and how."

"Why?" She put a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, I would think that'd be obvious, silly. He broke the rules."

"Rules?"

"Yeah, like leaving you alone until we're ready," Firiat giggled. "See, my lord has plans for you and your Reapers, it's just taken a little longer than we'd have liked. Aren't you glad you got some relaxation time?"

"Relaxation?" Shunsui rubbed the back of his head. "Well, wouldn't call it that. The guy on your shoulder there has attacked us now and then, you know."

"Oh I know," She rolled her eyes. "But this time he crossed the line, see? No one's allowed to kill you, King, except Lord Kamai Dethmaiyn."

Toshiro narrowed his eyes at her but she just giggled again.

"Anyway, see ya!" She waved at them like they were friends she'd see again soon. "I'll leave the demons here to play with you so you don't miss me!"

Fire lit up underneath her and then she was gone, Erol with her.

"Hmph, what a letdown," Kenpachi grumbled, looking reproachfully at the demons stalking forward, shadows swirling off their skin. "I'll leave this to you guys."

He turned and quickly left.

"Kenpachi!" Karin shouted at him but to no avail, the Squad Eleven Captain had left. "Argh, some help he was."

"His help isn't needed," Senjumaru said while shooting off a Kido spell. The demon she aimed at dodged her and charged, clashing with her blade. "The rest can easily be handled."

Still in front, Toshiro just swung his blade across and sent several ice dragons rocketing forward, latching onto several of the demons and shattering them into shards of ice. His chain-blade caught another and sent it crashing into the last of them, freezing them all over and breaking them with a single tug of the chain.

"While it's good to know I won't be killed," he mused aloud, "I don't like the rest of her message. I knew they were planning something but by her tone it's something even we won't be able to fight against."

"Guess we aren't as prepared as we thought," Karin frowned, absentmindedly reaching up to the wounds on her arm. "Captain Kyōraku is right; we got lucky that Myndræl came this way and stopped that first demon. We would have been a lot worse off if we hadn't all been there to hold them off."

"And we were lucky the Demon Lord stepped in before Nightstalker brought forth his power," Shutara added. "There's no telling what he was capable of, we might have lost a few to him, and in such an unstable state he could have even harmed the Soul King."

"I would have been fine," Toshiro argued. "I didn't train so hard to become king just to be kept on the sidelines. One thing is for sure, Dethmaiyn wants to be the one to kill me, so to get him out I have to fight."

"You should not risk yourself so hastily," The Royal Guard countered. "While it's true he may not come out unless you are there to kill, there's a possibility he will attempt to weaken you first with his other subjects before approaching you. He is clever; he will not take any chances at a loss just because you throw yourself out there as bait."

"So you want me to wait until his forces are weakened?" There was a clear sign of frustration on the young king's face as the argument continued. "There's no telling when that would be if we don't even know how big of a force he has. We only know there are five Demon Lords, and three of them we have yet to see."

"While I agree we don't know the kind of army Dethmaiyn has, we do know his goal, and that's you," Shunsui spoke up, pointing at Toshiro at the last part. "The Demon Lords might not kill you, but who's to say they won't kidnap you and take you to him?"

"He has to get me to give him my power first, and that will never happen," Toshiro growled, started to get angry with his companions. The power he'd gotten he had earned in order to fight in this war and protect his former home. This wasn't about his title as Soul King, this was about keeping the people he cared for safe, and that meant Dethmaiyn had to die.

"I'm sure there are ways he can convince you otherwise," Senjumaru warned.

"I'm fighting in this battle, Shutara. I was going to fight in this battle the day I realized I was the Soul Prince. They engaged me first, remember? I'm simply returning the favor."

Not wanting to hear any more arguments against him, Toshiro quickly left. He headed to wear Myndræl was in order to check up on him, the others staying behind to make sure they had indeed killed all the demons. They didn't need any lurking in the shadows killing them off one by one. Ruala took up the job of hunting down any assassins.

Dyrilæn joined up with her partner while several Soul Reapers set to work moving the dead gatekeeper to a safer place inside to be mourned or set to work trying to fix the gate. The latter came from Squad Twelve, also looking into how the indestructible gate could be destroyed.

"Do you want him to fight?" The dragoness asked her partner, meaning Toshiro.

"That's like asking if I want Ichigo to fight," Karin sighed. "I don't want him too, but nothing I say can possibly change his mind. Besides, he had a point, the demons struck first, and as Soul King it's kind of his responsibility to stop this feud. His father tried, now it's his turn."

"Considering Dethmaiyn is competing for Soul King it only makes sense the real Soul King be the one to fight back."

"Exactly," The teen nodded. "Now come on, let's help everyone here. Can't leave an opening for those bastards now that they've started appearing again."

Giving a snort of agreement, Dyrilæn followed her partner towards where everyone was busy at work. A healer came to heal her wounds and those on the other fighters as well, though she was really the worst one out of the lot thanks to sparring beforehand.

She promised that, next time, she would be prepared. If Toshiro was going to fight on the front lines, she'd be right there with him.

* * *

**Hehe, sorry for the wait. Been busy with school and things. And Fanfiction had been acting weird... Anyway, here it is! The big battle! Enjoy!**


	8. No Longer Can We Wait

The demons were not seen for several days after that. There wasn't really an explanation for it other than Erol must have been dealt with by his master. The only reason they'd been attacked at all was by the rogue's orders, and now that he was gone, perhaps even killed for insubordination, not a single demon was seen.

No one celebrated.

If anything, the lack of fighting put them all on edge. Another army could break in. Ruala did not sleep for some time as she doubled the strength in her barriers to prevent another such disaster. The dragons were asked to patrol save Myndræl, as he was the dragon of the Soul King and not of a Soul Reaper, though he still pitched in to help while he was still there.

Though he would not be there for much longer. Toshiro had stayed as long as he was allowed, and with this recent attack he had things he needed to see to. What Firiat had said still bugged him, and he was still frustrated with Senjumaru for trying to keep him holed up in the palace. What he had in mind would keep her satisfied for a while, but he was still determined to be in this war and not just watching it.

"Do you know when you'll be coming back?" Karin questioned him as he explained to her he would be leaving later that day.

"I'm afraid not," He replied with a heavy sigh. The two of them were atop the Squad Ten barracks, able to watch the dragons fly by and around the Seireitei.

"Well…" Though she looked disappointed, she quickly covered it up with curiosity. "You said you're going to try to convince more of the dragons, right? That'll be really helpful."

"I hope so," He nodded to her. "I'm also going to be speaking with some of the commanders to see if it's possible for the other branches to spare any troops. We may have held up today but there's no telling about next time. It also might help with the dragons, as they'll hopefully find partners and be more inclined to interact with spirits and humans."

"Other branches, huh?" Excitement crossed the teen's face. "I wonder what the other Soul Societies are like. They'll have completely different set ups and styles of fighting. Maybe they'll teach me some…"

"Slow down there," The young king chuckled at her enthusiasm. "There's no guarantee they'll help. The different branches are meant to be kept separate for a reason. Except for the branch in North America, specifically the United States, the branches have kept to that solitude and rarely interfere in one another's affairs."

"But this is something that could affect everyone," Karin pointed out. Toshiro nodded, already having pointed this out to the commanders before. "So…if they don't want the demons coming after them, it would be in their best interest to help."

"One would think. However, they'll argue that we have enough power on our own. I've been rather interactive in this war, as have my guards, and now the dragons are making their appearance as well. They probably aren't concerned."

"But if we lose and Kamai gets you, the entire world could fall apart." Her tone was bitter, mostly at the thought of losing, and not just the war but her boyfriend as well.

"True," He also grimaced at the thought. Sometimes even he forgot that his very life was tied to the fate of the world. His death meant the destruction of the balance of spirits, and the end of the world. Hence why Senjumaru was completely against letting him on the front lines. Kamai might be careful and keep him alive, but there could always be another like Erol who just wanted him dead no matter the consequences behind it.

"Ugh, I hate politics," Karin groaned, running a hand through her ponytail. "Getting off of that topic, then," She turned to him and he waited patiently, "I promise you I'll have Bankai next I see you."

"I look forward to seeing it," He smiled. "For a Kurosaki, I'm sure two years is a long wait for Bankai."

"Damn right!" She laughed. "I finished those trials in seven weeks for crying out loud!"

"I did three and a half," He teased.

"Oi, you have a prodigy advantage!" She punched him lightly on the arm.

"Prodigy advantage?" He ignored the punch and gave her an incredulous look. "Is that even a thing?"

"Well…it is now! You're a genius and have way more experience than me."

"You still did rather well for a human," He argued. "You kept up with your insanely overpowered brother, for one thing, and actually went a little faster than he did. I was under a lot of pressure to finish quickly so I put myself at risk pushing so hard."

She shrugged, though inwardly she glowed at his praise.

"The point is I apparently suck at getting Bankai."

"Your brother technically cheated," Toshiro pointed out. "Kisuke had a doll made to force him to learn Bankai in three days."

"Yeah, I know, and he won't let me use it," She snorted.

"Probably because Homuratei can't be conquered the same way as Zangetsu. Really the only part Kisuke helped with was materializing Zangetsu, and you materialized your zanpaktou spirit rather quickly compared to most Soul Reapers. Zangetsu was a zanpaktou that had to be controlled through a method only Ichigo could manage through brute force. Yours clearly takes something else."

"But I don't know what that is," She sighed, tiredly and leaned into him.

"Homuratei won't give you any hints?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well…" She lapsed into silence, recalling what her Wyvern spirit had once said to her during their training. "She just gave me this riddle. Apparently dragons and Wyverns like riddles."

"No argument there," Toshiro chuckled, remembering the riddles Hyorinmaru used to give him. "What's this riddle?"

Letting out a moody breath, Karin attempted to recall the words given to her by her mischievous zanpaktou.

"It went something like…'The power of fire leaves black in its wake, a tool of chaos for destruction's sake'. That part was pretty east to get; basically my Bankai is going to be something really devastating." She paused to hear his thoughts but he simply gave a hum of agreement and waited for her to continue. "Okay, the next part was 'Black fades away and turns to white, but only with love for the blooms within sight.' That one is a little more confusing. I guess the 'black fades to white' part could be when things turn to ash after getting burned, and the blooms could mean what grows up after everything's burned down, but I have no idea what that has to do with me."

Toshiro still said nothing, running the words through his head.

_**'You know you're not supposed to help her. Homuratei would be unhappy,**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

_'I know, but I can at least offer my opinion. Ichigo got all sorts of help getting his powers, and in these times it wouldn't hurt for Karin to have a little assistance._'

The dragon gave a rumble of agreement, understanding where he was going with this. After all, Homuratei had been persistent lately with the training. She might even welcome the outside help instead of scorning it as he'd first thought.

"I think you're taking her words too literally," Toshiro finally spoke up. Curious, Karin sat up and turned to fully face him, listening intently. "The first part seems to be a warning; she's letting you know that your power can hurt everyone around you and even yourself. As for the second part I believe she's showing you the better side; that if you use your powers instead for those you love and not just yourself, then the flames normally seen as a tool of destruction will become a shield. In that sense you're really not that different from your brother."

"How did you get all that?" Karin scrunched up her nose in confusion.

"Where she says 'only with love for the blooms within sight'. She's not talking about what grows after the fire dies away, she's talking about the people around you. The 'blooms' are the people you care about and only by wanting to protect them will you be able to control the fire. Otherwise they will be burned, leaving 'black in its wake.'"

"Oh…" Once he'd clarified it, his interpretation made far more sense than her own. "So…how do I prove all that to Homuratei when I'm fighting her?"

"That's not something I can really help you with," He told her with a frown. "I'm sure it will take some time to figure out, but at least now you can move a little further ahead."

"True." She leaned on him once more. "Thanks, by the way. You're a big help."

"I do what I can." A strong and icy arm wrapped around her shoulder, warmed up instantly by her own heated power.

They spent another half hour like that, occasionally speaking back and forth about this and that, whatever crossed their minds. Neither wanted the inevitable separation to come, but both knew it was necessary. Hitsugaya had a job, a very important one, and she needed to help the Soul Society. Karin felt she should be used to the separation by now, but every time he left it hurt. She knew it hurt him, too, and tried to stay strong, tried to hold out until his next visit. Ichigo did his best to help her through it, as did her other Soul Reaper friends, but it could only sate her longing for so long.

"Try to come back soon, okay?" She said to him quietly; it was almost time for him to go. She could sense Ruala coming near.

"You know I can't make promises, but I will try," He responded as quiet, touching his lips to her forehead.

Considering this was their last few minutes together for possibly months, Karin forfeited their little game and made him give her a proper kiss goodbye. She wouldn't settle for less.

He moved back first, one hand moving to her wrist where the silver bracelet he'd given her two years ago rested, the carved dragon seeming to shimmer in the light. At its center the ice crystal gave off a glow of dazzling colors, the one who made it close enough to give it life.

"You're not keeping this on in battle," He said, moving his finger over the bright metal with a somewhat saddened expression. "It's meant to protect you."

"But who's going to protect you?" She frowned back. "You're king now, Toshiro; you can't let the Fear build up again."

He looked at her for a minute or two, taking her words in and debating over them. She had a point; another episode like two years ago where the Fear had nearly consumed him and the balance would shift back and forth rapidly, creating a possible apocalypse for the World of the Living.

"Fine," His hand moved to cover over the crystal, the brand on the back of his right hand glowing a little brighter.

"What are you doing?" Karin looked warily at where his hand rested, unsure what enchantment he was placing on it.

He didn't answer at first, his eyes closed as he focused on the Kido bind, undoing the original one and replacing it with a variation. He still wanted to protect her, but if she wouldn't wear it when Fear was involved than what was the point of giving her a protective charm?

"There, now you won't take it off," He moved his hand away from the bracelet and instead held her hand.

"And why's that?" She questioned, adding a little sass to it to play around. He raised a single brow at the tone but didn't say anything, just smirked and moved on.

"It won't absorb the Fear and give it to me anymore, it will only protect you from their magic."

"Does THAT go to you?"

"No, it won't. Think of it as a Kido barrier that forms over you from the bracelet; though it has to stay on to do so. It won't protect you from any high energy spells, though, so don't rush in expecting to be immune."

"Well of course not, I'd never expect that," She rolled her eyes before kissing him on the cheek. "At least I don't have to worry about you getting hurt now."

"I would have been fine anyway, Karin, but your stubbornness makes it hard to protect you in return."

Grinning foxily, the Substitute pretended his words were praise. He gave a sigh in return as if exhausted by her actions before bringing her back into his arms for one last embrace.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," He promised quietly.

"It's never soon enough…"

"I know…"

Gray eyes lit up with an idea.

"What if I went with you?" She asked and his eyes widened in surprise. "Just this once, I mean…It's the summer anyway and maybe I could help, you know, like a spokesperson for this branch."

"The problem with that is you're not a true Soul Reaper," He replied though it was clear he was thinking about it.

"Which means I could also plead in case for the humans in the World of the Living. Ichigo can go, too, since he's gonna be a Royal Guard now; let him get acquainted with the people there."

"I agree with letting Ichigo get to know the commanders but he's not the best politician, and you're still a human by their terms and not well acquainted with how we run – and neither is Ichigo for that matter. Remember, they're rather frustrated with me already for fraternizing with you."

"Oh boohoo," She snorted. "This 'human' happens to be the younger sister to the guy who almost single-handedly saved the Japanese branch."

"But you're not THE person who almost single-handedly saved this branch. They don't look at relations the way humans do. I noticed that in my last week before becoming king; they expected much of me because I was becoming their next king, not necessarily because I was the son of one. They saw me simply as the next pick and didn't respect me immediately just because my father was well-respected."

"Is it because most spirits end up not finding their family when they come here?" Karin frowned.

"That's a big part of it. Since no one is really blood related most of the time in the spirit world, one has to prove their worthy of their 'family' name, not expect to be worthy just because they're in it. You may be Ichigo's sister, but that doesn't mean you're at all like him, in their eyes. As far as they know, you're like any other human."

"But I'm not."

"Oh I know you're not," He chuckled slightly, standing as he did so. "While I like the idea, I don't think it will be as successful as you hope it to be." Still gripping her hand he pulled her to her feet as well. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," She shrugged. "It was worth a try."

With one last apologetic smile he turned away, spotting Ruala further away with her back to them, looking at the sky to give them their privacy while still reminding him it was time to leave. Reluctantly he left Karin's side and met up with the silent guardian, heading off to the outside of the Seireitei to find the Tenchuren.

"I will stay here to keep up the barrier," Ruala said quietly. "Lady Shutara will return with you and Myndræl."

"Very well." He nodded to show he understood. "Will you keep an eye on the Kurosakis? They never did give me an affirmative answer about regaining their status as Royal blood, only Ichigo agreed, and only on his place as guardian."

"I will watch over them."

"Thank you."

They parted ways, Toshiro continuing on his path while Ruala vanished with Flash Step to watch over the Seireitei.

The 'peaceful' lull after the fight would end soon. He could feel it.

The war was beginning.

* * *

**Terribly sorry for the wait, but here it is! Enjoy!**

**Beta'd by Writer of Craziness**


	9. Increasing Forces

"Welcome back!" Sylfie greeted her nephew eagerly as he made his way through the halls, waving at him with a big smile.

"Sylfie, I need a favor from you," He replied, getting right to the point. She frowned at first but could tell by his tone that now was not the time for silliness. "Is there a way you could talk to the families of the commanders, the ones for other countries? I need to see if they'd be willing to assist me with something."

"Something as in…?" She pressed for more.

"A few days ago a rogue warrior of Dethmaiyn's attacked and brought a rather sizable army with him. If he was just a rogue I dread to think what the true force is like and I regret to say one branch won't be able to hold it off. I'm asking to see if the other branches would be willing to step in and help stop this army. Once the Japanese branch goes down, Dethmaiyn will continue to attack the others one by one until everything is gone or until I give in and hand over my place."

"True," She nodded. "I'll see what I can do about the families. Any specific regions in mind?"

"Those closest to us if possible and perhaps America's as well, considering they love to help." His aunt gave a snort and rolled her eyes; she knew all about America's want to be in everybody's business. "Hopefully a good number of them will agree, we'll need a lot of help."

"Very well. So how did it go with the Kurosakis?"

Though the shift was sudden he'd learned by now how to keep up with Sylfie's quick subject changes, though if he wasn't paying attention she'd still catch him off guard. Thankfully he was completely attentive at the moment.

"Ichigo agreed rather quickly to becoming a Royal Guard but his family isn't quite decided on regaining their Royal Family status, which means he'll be staying in the Soul Society anyway."

"But you expected that," She smirked.

"I did," He nodded. "Ruala's still there now to make sure her barrier stays strong and she'll be watching over them for when they make a decision."

She nodded once more before smiling and walking away to begin her new mission. Once the green-haired woman was out of sight, Toshiro set off back outside; he had dragons to talk to.

Myndræl met him upon the balcony, already set to fly.

"With Tælaf and Ahvain already partnered up, more of the dragons will want to go," Myndræl purred. "How will you send them there?"

"Ahvain is a Wind-Gravity type, meaning she can teleport to places she's been," Toshiro responded while mounting. "She already agreed to help teleport anyone else who wants to go, one at a time."

"Maybe another Gravity type will be willing to help." Sapphire wings spread wide and the dragon walked over to the edge.

"With any luck I'll convince the Keeper of Gravity to assist. I have the Keeper of Light, Ice and Darkness already on my side. At least…I think I have the Keeper of Light on my side."

"Lord Hopryn is very careful about which side he picks, but with his brother Lord Firzara on our side he might be leaning towards it as well."

They left the conversation at that for now as they took off for Dragon Isle in search of more possible partner candidates. Due to the number of drakes still flying around the nest it was safe to say most of the beings were still there, waiting to hear how Tælaf and Ahvain fared in their quest for a partner.

_'What about the Greenleaf twins?_' Myndræl spoke telepathically as the wind roared past them, too loud for verbal conversation. _'Lady Ralæn wanted to help fight._'

_'I never told her she couldn't; it's her mother keeping her back,_' Toshiro replied, glancing at the mansion woven of trees as they passed over the Kingdom of Magika. _'The Royal Families aren't supposed to be participating._'

_'By the end of your meeting with the commanders they might as well. The entire world is in jeopardy right now._'

_'You have a point, but it won't be that easy. Most of them don't even have fighting experience. The Greenleaf Family was always odd in that sense, though some of the Families I've met are pretty strange in my opinion._'

_**'Only because they're of a different culture that you're not used to,**_' Hyorinmaru pointed out.

_'The Japanese culture is strange to me,_' Myndræl added. _'For one, the dragons worshipped in Japan look different from most of us. Only Wind or Lightning type dragons have such long, thin bodies and sometimes no wings. Sometimes the Water dragons, too, but mostly the Wind and Lightning_.'

_**'I suppose I'm the oddity then.**_'

_'You won't hear anyone complaining, though, that's for sure,_' Myndræl chuckled.

Smiling a little as the two dragons continued on about the different types and styles of each element and how weird some are in comparison, Toshiro just remained silent, instead thinking of what to say to the dragons and, later, the commanders. The better he could convince them the more chance he had at increasing their forces against the demons. And the more forces they had the more chance there was of victory for them. He just had to hope they could convince enough people.

The two Ice dragons got quiet as they reached the Nest, Myndræl tucking in his wings and diving downwards once past the mountainous border, flaring them out again near the ground to land softly on the stone that rose up near the large pond. At his arrival, many dragons turned their way, some walking over to hear their news, curious. One dragon, a Fire-type by the looks of him, came the closest with the posture of wanting to ask a question. Fortunately he kept enough manners to wait until their Dragon King had dismounted and turned to them before opening his mouth.

"How did Ahvain and Tælaf fare?" He asked in a gruff voice. He was thin for a Fire type dragon, suggesting a second element, with electric blue stripes patterning his sides as well as a row of light green stripes down his back, large wings a light yellow like the flash of lightning, giving away his second element. There were short, thick black spikes down his spine and gray horns just behind his head with frills the same color as his wings running between them. He looked up at them with bright blue his, swishing his long tail that ended in a bright blue spade as he waited.

"They both have met their partners," Toshiro answered the dragon.

"Have they?" The dragon grinned excitedly, showing off long saber fangs as he did so. "So perhaps it's not as impossible as we first thought to find our partners."

"A good number of you seem to be bonded with those in the Japanese branch, yes." Toshiro sat on the edge of the rock, the dragon tall enough to look him in the eye as he did so despite being on lower ground. "Hopefully when I talk to the commanders of the other branches those areas will be open for you all to search and attempt to find your partners. As lucky as you would be, I doubt all of you have partners in my former home."

"I would think not, though it would be a great place to start," The red dragon chuckled. "I am Noxis, by the way, a Fire-Lightning type. I suppose my type was easy to guess, though." He spread his wings to emphasize his point, the crimson skin over the bony parts of the appendages contrasting with the bright yellow of the wing membrane.

"Yes, it was." Teal eyes looked up as more dragons approached, coming closer. "I suppose I should let everyone know about their success."

Nodding, Noxis understood that as his cue to back up into the crowd again while Toshiro stood to be seen and better heard. Myndræl, with his taller frame and louder voice, would probably be better suited for giving the news to the island since so many weren't bothering to approach. So, he let the sapphire dragon speak for him.

"The dragon Tælaf and Ahvain have found their partners in the Soul Society!" His voice carried over the rumblings and grunts of the other dragons, silencing them and catching the attention of those who originally were not listening or didn't care. "There is hope for a great many of you to meet the same fate!"

"Found partners, you say?" The voice came from behind them, the Dragon Keeper of Water. Her aqua colored head was only a little above the water, sea-green eyes alight with interest and fascination. "Well then, I suppose you were right all along, Dragon King."

"Yet not all of us will be so lucky," One of her Water dragons argued, sitting on the edge of the pond. "What of the other places?"

"I will be speaking to the commanders tonight in the hopes of gaining more allies for this war." Toshiro answered now that he had everyone's attention. "During that time I will gladly negotiate letting some of you travel to those branches in the hopes of finding partners." He turned back to the masses. "Ahvain and Tælaf went with me on a hunch that their partners were waiting for them on the other side. They were right. I believe if you follow that instinct you all will meet your human selves, just as they have."

"Finding one's partner always did seem to have a hidden instinct behind it," A Flora dragon mused. "From the stories, anyway. We've all ignored it in our generation."

"Then perhaps it is time you young ones start searching," Lilianna spoke up, her violet figure clear to see as she stood among the greens and browns of various dragons, mostly Earth-types.

Murmurs went among the drakes as they wondered if they should start heading out. So many had been lucky enough to find their partners just by following their instinct, an instinct they long had suppressed in their hatred for what the humans had done.

"What's past is in the past, now." Toshiro's voice carried through their uncertain whispers. "Isn't it time the dragons rose back up from their exile?"

That got them interested. They definitely wanted out of exile as their numbers were thinning every year. The chances of mates always seemed to increase with partners due to how easily humans seemed to find their mates, which would mean more dragonlings and a rise in their population again. Not to mention spreading out among the Soul Societies would give them more room for their territorial needs, as there simply wasn't enough room in one realm for the few of them there were.

"I'll go!" A dragon called and Toshiro recognized Noxis. "I wanted to go with Ahvain and Tælaf, but I was still unsure. Now I'm pretty confident my partner is there."

Toshiro allowed a small smile to cross his face. Finally they were coming out of the wilds to return to their ancestral path. He'd read about the dragon's history and it was a truly amazing thing, tales of Dragon Riders who kept peace in the land. He wished for that same peace among dragons and humans, though he'd start with the spirits already used to the strange, instead of trying to push their presence on the easily frightened humans. Hopefully this way he could avoid another war between their species and dragon kind could return to the world gradually.

"As a Keeper with the benefit of dragon kind in mind I support the idea of finding partners." The Keeper of Wind spoke as she twirled through the air with her lean, cloud gray body, feathers around her head and down her spine of a sky blue color and eyes bright orange like the sunset. As the controller of wind she needed no wings and simply spun through the wind currents like the Eastern Dragon of stories. "After all, we're rather small in population now. A few elements are in danger of going extinct."

Her gaze looked over on the Keeper of Time, a black dragon tiger-striped with gray, golden eyes alight with untold wisdom. He was the only Keeper who could pass on memories to the next Keeper, making them wiser and wiser each time. It was said Lilianna might have been the next Keeper of Time, but her Lunar element negated that possibility. One had to be pure of that element, after all. With the dragons lessening in number, it was becoming harder and harder to do such a thing. Time was one of those elements, a rare element already, and becoming rarer as time went on, no pun intended.

"I think all the Keepers believe as such." Hopryn nodded his head in agreement, a few of his Light dragons around him giving out a purr as their own form of agreement.

If anything could convince the dragons to join rank it would be the ones who ruled over them, the Dragon Keepers. Especially for a subject like this where they really could care less if they wanted considering it didn't involve them. Their support spoke volumes and it was starting to convince the younger ones.

The older ones, though…

"This is nonsense!" An older Flora dragon snorted. "I will never trust a human be they living or dead! All they know is destruction!"

"And yet you're still here." Toshiro argued. The dragon silenced, fuming. "I ask that you all at least consider my offer. Those already sure of your answer, I'll await it atop the palace after my meeting with the commanders." He turned away and moved to sit atop Myndræl's back. "May Swift guide you well."

Several dragons returned the goodbye and then Myndræl took leave, heading back to the enormous floating palace.

Myndræl stayed atop the palace to await any dragons that make up their mind to head to the Soul Society while Toshiro ventured in, hoping Sylfie would succeed in convincing the commanders, and their Families, to meeting with him. He was sure she could, but it could take some time. So, while he waited, he returned to the smaller duties he had yet to finish. As expected the paperwork had piled up after his week-long absence, but Sylfie's place allowed her to do some of it, lessening the load on him for which he was grateful, and he'd had far worse as the Squad Ten Captain. He had expected more paperwork than this, really, but was surprised at how little he seemed to get even with long absences. Maybe it was just his experience as a Captain, having to do his and Rangiku's.

What took time out of his day was dealing with the Families and keeping up with what was going on outside his realm. He had yet to give up his search for where the entrance to Kamai's hiding place lay. Having exhausted every effort of tying it to Japan, either living world or dead, he now turned to the other countries. Some places had already been checked by his Royal Guards, but still they had turned up empty-handed. He kept himself from being disappointed. After all, they'd been searching for this entrance many, many years before him, when he was born and Dethmaiyn struck out, and even then had never found it.

"Where are you, you bastard?" Toshiro muttered under his breath as he looked through the reports. So far the demons seemed to be keeping to the Japanese branch due to his constant visits there. While that put pressure on his friends it kept them from attacking elsewhere and forcing him to split his forces. They couldn't afford that now.

Sighing, Toshiro glanced at his right hand, the mark of the Soul King shining dully on his hand. Now that he was king it never faded, but if he kept his power in check he could at least make it less noticeable. He just wished there was a way to hide it for when he left his realm, but alas, no sorcery or clothing could hide the icy blue glow, to his dislike.

_**'What if the commanders refuse to head to their branches and convince them to fight?**_' Hyorinmaru questioned, wanting to make sure his master had all the bases covered. _**'What if the other branches refuse to fight?**_'

"I'm sure there will be plenty of arguing and lots of convincing will be needed but if they end up not wanting to take part there's not much I can do." Hitsugaya answered, looking away from his birthmark and instead picking up an old book he hadn't looked at in a while; the book with the scratched out prophecy. "There are plenty of reasons for them NOT to fight and I wouldn't blame them for minding their own business despite being requested by the Royal Families to help. There's not much in it for them and lessening their own numbers may affect how well they can fight off Hollows in their areas. I'm not going to endanger entire branches just to protect one."

_**'Though the logic to join is that, if the Japanese branch falls, they will be next.**_'

"Yes, that's true, but if they're already having difficulties we can't overwork them. Then there would be no point in getting their help, for we'd lose those left and the thousands of souls who live there. Their help would be greatly appreciated but I can understand if they don't want to risk valuable soldiers trying to save another country."

_**'Well, if anything, the American branch will give you whatever you need.**_'

Toshiro smirked slightly.

"I'm sure they will." He passed into a thoughtful expression. "I wonder what it's like there. I've read that their zanpaktous don't always remain sealed as a sword, but almost anything, depending on who they are. They're also a little more advanced in their Heaven, as they like to call it, than Japan's Soul Society."

_**'Not to mention nosy.'**_

A small laugh escaped the young king. It was easy to laugh with just Hyorinmaru, though now that circle also included Myndræl and Karin…and by extension Dyrilæn.

"Nosy as they are, they'd be of great help." Toshiro flipped open the book to where the prophecy was, glancing at where the edges left of the ripped out pages rested, almost mocking him. He looked back at the lines he'd managed to clear up with Ruala's Time element.

_The hand of royals is the key,_

_The power of spirits is the sight,_

_Wisdom prefers the color teal to see,_

_The pride of rulers is marked by white._

_The dragons choose a King of Frost,_

_Demons crawl with power of Fear,_

_Twin drakes reveal a world once lost,_

_Light does fade as death is near._

Unfortunately, that's all there was at the moment. Four lines were still completely unreadable, blackened to the point that nothing could return the page to what it once was except Ruala finding the lines through her unpredictable Time element.

There was a knock and he looked up, spotting the tall woman with boy-cut brown hair; Ryder Evereed, commander of the North American branches. He held back a grin; the Evereed family once came from the American branch and still practiced a lot of the same traditions, hence why Ryder wore an American military uniform as her commander uniform. If he could count on anyone to increase the forces against the demons it was Ryder and her Family.

"Yes?" He questioned, acting like he wasn't thinking all this.

"Lady Greenleaf happened to catch me on my way here and said you wanted to meet me, as well as the other commanders," Ryder explained.

"She's correct." Toshiro shut the book in his hands and lay it upon his desk before standing and walking over to the door. "I'll give you a summary and then explain the rest when the others get here."

"Understood." She followed behind him as he walked, as she was trained to do.

First step towards victory taken. Hitsugaya could only hope it was enough.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. I know this stuff is boring, but hey, war has tons of politics involved. But most of it will be here in the beginning, so once the action starts picking up, it'll be exciting ^^ Enjoy!**

**Beta'd by Writer of Craziness**


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